DAVID MARCUS: GOP win shows Tennessee hasn’t been California’d, at least not yet

Republicans dodged a slug connected Tuesday nighttime arsenic GOP campaigner Matt Van Epps defeated acold near progressive Democrat Aftyn Behn by a specified 9 points successful a territory Donald Trump won by 22 points a twelvemonth ago. But marque nary mistake: The socialist electoral weapon is inactive locked, loaded and aimed astatine mediate America.

A triumph is simply a win, but Van Epps’ comparatively constrictive borderline of triumph volition acceptable disconnected alarm bells for Republicans nationally, and embolden the socialist helping of the Democratic Party, which is already accelerated connected its mode to establishing its dominance.

This predetermination is besides a validation for each those folks successful the Volunteer State with T-shirts and bumper stickers that accidental ‘Don’t California my Tennessee,’ for conscionable arsenic non-native New Yorkers pushed antiauthoritarian socialist Zohran Mamdani to a triumph successful Gotham, transplants were a large boon for Behn.

State Rep. Aftyn Behn, a Democratic legislature candidate, attends a run lawsuit during the peculiar predetermination for Tennessee’s 7th District successful Nashville, Tennessee, connected Nov. 13. (George Walker IV/AP Photo)

Over the past fewer years, the colonisation of Nashville has grown by astir 100 citizens a day, astir 30,000 souls a year, and galore are coming from blue, high-tax, high-crime states. Sadly, galore look consenting to bring their failed authorities with them.

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The entreaty of Tennessee is clear. In fact, I considered it myself it erstwhile I escaped New York City successful 2023 earlier settling connected vastly superior West Virginia. There is simply a precocious prime of beingness and debased outgo of living, and successful wide Tennessee is conscionable a bully spot to live.

Democrats recognize these demographic changes successful reddish states, and galore volition present reason that Behn’s occurrence shows that the maturation strategy present is to play to the younger, far-left voters, not the Joe Manchin-type, blue-dog Democrats successful their sixties who you tin find present and determination astatine the VFW.

Meanwhile, Republicans person expressed glee astatine the mode President Trump has appealed to young voters successful the past, particularly young men. Pronblem is, those gains look to each but vanish erstwhile Trump isn't connected the ballot.

I'M A YOUNG DEMOCRAT AND I'VE GOT TO ADMIT MY PARTY IS LOSING 2025 WHILE LOOKING AT 2028

Part of this disconnect comes from the information that overmuch of the economical populism that makes Trump charismatic to young antheral voters, including things similar $2,000 tariff rebate checks, are the nonstop things that much accepted Republicans entity to successful Trump’s platform.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, Democratic mayoral campaigner Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez airs for a photograph successful Astoria, Queens, Sept. 6, 2025. (@ZohranKMamdani via X)

The happening that is astir comic astir the mode that this peculiar predetermination played retired was that the lone country of the territory that Behn won, and decisively, was Nashville, a metropolis which she famously, and recently, said she hated.

This should not beryllium a surprise, 1 of the cardinal things that acold leftists and socialists bash is disconnect a spot from its roots. This is however you extremity up with places similar Portland, Oregon, putting up a ‘Tree’ alternatively of a ‘Christmas Tree.’AFTYN BEHN DODGES QUESTIONS ON POLICE FUNDING, POLICY DISAGREEMENTS WITH KAMALA HARRIS 

In her concession speech, Behn said that her run was the opening of "something almighty successful Tennessee and crossed the south." She could precise good beryllium right, due to the fact that Nashville is not unsocial successful turning agleam blue.

Durham, North Carolina, fundamentally has the authorities of Brooklyn, and cities similar it and Nashville are increasing astatine massively higher rates than the reliably reddish agrarian counties that person traditionally kept Dixie conservative.

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The socialists and progressive Democrats are playing a agelong crippled successful the south. Note that, with the objection of Bernie Sanders, their leaders similar Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York City Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani and Behn, are each successful their 30s. They person clip connected their side.

REPUBLICANS RELENTLESSLY USE MAMDANI AS SOCIALIST CUDGEL TO BASH VULNERABLE DEMOCRATS

Like Moses, Bernie Sanders whitethorn person gone to the socialist mountaintop, but it is his followers who mean to get to the Marxist promised land.

Republican legislature  nominee Matt Van Epps celebrates with supporters aft winning a peculiar predetermination successful Tennessee's 7th District, connected Dec. 2, 2025 successful Nashville, Tennessee. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Republicans request to instrumentality these warnings seriously. Say what you volition astir the tenets of socialism, but astatine slightest it's an ethos. Right now, cipher seems to cognize rather what Trumpism is, different than Trump himself. That has to change.

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Over the adjacent year, earlier the midterm, and the pursuing 2 earlier the adjacent statesmanlike election, Trumpian populism needs to get bigger than Trump. In fact, Trump whitethorn request to acceptable not conscionable the priorities of his administration, but of the aboriginal of the Grand Old Party.

Tennessee was not California’d connected Tuesday night, and that is simply a precise bully thing, but the trends are not bully for Republicans. Democrats person a caller individuality arsenic socialists, and it turns retired not to beryllium disqualifying. So what individuality volition the GOP choose?

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