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First on Fox: The Tennessee Democratic state representative running for Congress, who has been likened to Zahran Mamdani, claims she is running to improve the lives of the working class, but her voting record tells a different story.
Tennessee State Rep. Aftin Behn, D-District 51, who is running to replace outgoing congressman from Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, Mark Green, voted no last year on a bill that would have resulted in a $400 million tax cut for some Tennessee small businesses, including potential refunds of up to $1.5 billion. Behn also rallied against the GOP’s H.R. 1, the so-called “big, beautiful bill,” which extended Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts that, without it, would have meant a nearly $4,000 increase for taxpayers in her district.
Meanwhile, earlier this year, Behn voted against a statewide budget bill that would have added tens of millions to the state’s rainy day fund, which would have effectively filled state coffers so they wouldn’t need a big boost in times of declining revenues. The same budget bill would also have allocated millions for volunteer fire departments, senior centers, emergency medical services, teacher bonuses and other public safety funding.
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Democrat Aftin Behn, a current Tennessee state representative, is running to take over Republican Mark Green’s old seat after he retires. (Appeal to Congress)
“As an angry social worker, Aftin has seen firsthand how broken systems fail the people they are supposed to protect,” Behn’s campaign website said. “She is now running for Congress after the passage of the so-called ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ — a giveaway to the rich that legalized the largest transfer of wealth from working people to the rich in American history.”
However, according to Tax Foundation estimates, if Trump’s 2017 tax cuts had expired, residents of Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, which Behn wants to represent, would have seen their taxes increase by about $3,717 per taxpayer.
“To win, Democrats need to focus on what really matters: making life more affordable for the working class,” Behn said after the bill passed. “Republicans in Washington have done the opposite by passing this #BigBullsh-Bill. Destroying health care and giving handouts to billionaires.”
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Even the New York Times acknowledged that independent analyzes showed that Trump’s 2017 tax cuts “consistently found that the vast majority of Americans would owe less because of the law.”
Democratic House candidate Aftin Behn speaks to a crowd of people in Dickson County, Tennessee (left) next to a photo of her protesting in 2021 in Nashville (right) calling on lawmakers to pass legislation focused on climate change, infrastructure and jobs. (Photos: Aftin for Congress and Jason Davis/Getty Images)
Last year, Behn also voted against a bill that the Tennessee General Assembly’s Fiscal Review Committee estimated would provide more than $1.5 billion in tax refunds to small business owners in the state. It would also have reduced the combined annual tax burden on Tennessee business owners by about $400 million.
At the same time, Behn voted against Tennessee’s 2025-2026 fiscal year budget that included a significant increase to the state’s rainy day fund, which state governments use during periods of low revenue. The same budget bill also includes community funding for services like volunteer fire departments, emergency medical services, rescue squads, senior centers, teacher bonuses, school security and more.
During Behn’s time in the state legislature, she also worked to repeal Tennessee’s grocery tax, claiming it would put money back into the pockets of hard-working Tennesseans year-round. However, according to Republicans, the move would trigger a corporate tax, increasing taxes on small businesses by about $800 million.
Drone view of the Tennessee State Capitol. (Joe Sohm/America Visions/Global Image Collection via Getty Images)
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Fox News Digital repeatedly reached out to the Behn campaign for comment but did not receive a response.
Matt Van Eps, Behn’s Republican rival, who is backed by Trump, said: “Aften Behn’s policies will drive up the cost of living even higher for hardworking Tennesseans.” “Aftin has repeatedly voted against tax cuts and proposed new taxes, taking more money out of your pocket. I will always fight to lower taxes and lower costs so working families can get ahead.”
in Local media reports, Behn has been compared to New York City Mayor-elect and self-proclaimed socialist Zahran Mamdani and the Dickson County Democratic Party described Behn as “our AOC in Tennessee,” referring to US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
“His message is to help working families all over New York, and my message is to help working families all over Tennessee,” Behn said of Mamdani. During his appearance on CNN. “We need to get back to pocketbook issues, especially in states like Tennessee where people are living unaffordable lives and suffering as a result of Republican policies.”