Tennessee Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn says she’s running for Congress to help working families, but her record raises real questions about priorities. She voted against several measures that would have cut taxes for small businesses, boosted the state’s rainy day fund, and funded volunteer fire departments, senior centers and other community services. Critics point to a pattern of votes that clash with her rhetoric about affordability. Supporters and opponents are already sharpening their lines as the campaign heats up.
Last year Behn voted no on a bill that would have produced an estimated $400 million in lower annual taxes for Tennessee business owners and potential refunds in the range of $1.5 billion for small businesses. She also opposed H.R. 1, the measure Republicans pushed to extend the 2017 tax cuts. Opponents argue those positions amount to opposing tax relief for the very people she claims to champion.
When the state budget came up, Behn rejected a plan that increased the rainy day fund by tens of millions and included targeted community investments. That budget would have allocated money for volunteer fire departments, emergency medical services, senior centers, teacher bonuses and school safety measures. Voting against that package surprised some voters who expected practical, local-level support from someone running on working-class concerns.
“A pissed-off social worker, Aftyn has seen firsthand how broken systems fail the very people they’re meant to protect,” Behn’s campaign website reads. “She’s now running for Congress after the so-called ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ passed — a giveaway to the wealthy that codified the largest transfer of wealth from working people to the rich in American history.”
Independent estimates used by watchdogs show a different math than Behn’s rhetoric implies. Analysts say if the 2017 tax cuts had lapsed, the average taxpayer in Tennessee’s district could have seen a roughly $3,700 jump in taxes, and many independent studies suggest a large share of Americans would owe less under the tax law. That context matters when a candidate frames tax extensions as giveaways to the rich rather than near-term relief for households.
“To win, Democrats need to focus on what really matters: making life more affordable for working people,” Behn said after the bill’s passage. “Washington Republicans did the opposite by passing this #BigBullsh–Bill. Gutting healthcare and giving handouts to billionaires.”
Behn also opposed a bill estimated to create more than $1.5 billion in refunds for small business owners and reduce the combined yearly tax burden on businesses by about $400 million. In addition, her push to repeal the grocery tax drew criticism from Republicans who warned it would be replaced by a business enterprise tax that could raise small business taxes by roughly $800 million. Those tradeoffs are central to the argument her critics are making about unintended consequences.
“Aftyn Behn’s policies would skyrocket the cost of living even more for hardworking Tennesseans,” Behn’s Republican opponent, Trump-backed Matt Van Epps, said. “Aftyn has repeatedly voted against tax cuts and proposed new taxes, taking more money from your pocket. I’ll always fight to lower taxes and bring down costs so that working families can get ahead.”
Local reports and party activists have compared Behn to progressive figures in other regions, and some Democrats have leaned into bold, national-style messaging. “His message is one of helping working families across New York, my message is one of helping working families across Tennessee,” Behn said about Mamdani during the appearance on CNN. “We need to go back to pocketbook issues, especially in states like Tennessee where people are living unaffordable lives and suffering as a result of Republican policies.”
