Women in Government hosted Aftyn Behn, a state representative for the 51st district of Tennessee, on Nov. 19 as part of their speaker series in Buttrick Hall. Behn is running as a Democrat in the Dec. 2 special election for the United States House of Representatives in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District.
The event was moderated by sophomore Abby Silver, a member of WIG’s Political Involvement Committee. Silver began by asking Behn about her background in politics, to which Behn explained her transition from working at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to community organizing in her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee.
“I realized after working [at UNHCR] that my best and highest use of self was back in my home state of Tennessee,” Behn said. “When I came back, I didn’t recognize the state I had grown up in. I got a community organizing job at the Tennessee Justice Center, and I organized protests about Medicaid cuts. From there, I got another organizing job, and I probably organized every anti-Trump rally in Nashville from 2017 to 2020.”
Behn then explained her decision to run for state-level office in 2023 despite initial setbacks.
“When I ran for state office, I faced a brutal primary,” Behn said. “Everyone thought the race was over, but [my team and I] knocked on doors, and I won by 600 votes. That was a big upset. I didn’t run for that seat because I wanted the title; I ran for it because of the cause.”
Behn clarified that her success in the state legislature and experience with community organizing led her to run for U.S. Congress in the upcoming special election, crediting her constituents and home state as political inspiration.
“Lo and behold, Congress was confronted with a pissed off social worker who’s been radicalized to learn how to run campaigns, how to unseat legislators and how to pass legislation,” Behn said. “I’m really honored to represent Tennessee at this moment in time on the national stage. It’s an homage to my community and to the people who got me here.”
Audience Q&A
Sophomore Suhani Joshi, an audience member, asked Behn if she had advice for young people in the South who want to get involved in community organizing but feel discouraged by legislative barriers and political demographics. Behn responded that although being a Democrat in Tennessee was challenging for her, this political dynamic made her a better community organizer.
“I had a [ballot measure] win by about 65% of the vote, and the state legislature came in and neutered it. It’s three steps forward, 10 steps back,” Behn said. “Places like Tennessee and the South, though, have the best organizers in the country because of what we have to endure here. It forces me to be creative and strategic in a way that most organizers across the country have never had to deal with.”
Another audience member asked Behn to compare her previous experiences in community organizing to her current role as a state representative for Tennessee. Aftyn emphasized the importance of community engagement, an element she said she believes is critical to both roles.
“The best legislators out there are community organizers because you’re embedded in the community,” Aftyn said. “I’m holding town halls. I am doing community needs assessments — all of my policies are community-centered. These things make me a better legislator, and it drives the opposition nuts. The [race for the 7th Congressional District seat] was a 20-point race, and we’ve got it down to four points.”
Another audience member asked Behn how young people can turn their political passion into action. Behn discussed the importance of political organizing and involving young people in politics.
“If we flip the seat, it’s going to take an act of God to keep it,” Behn said. “I need a cavalry of young people; we’re going to have to be in communities combating misinformation and disinformation efforts. The legislature has made it nearly impossible for third-party voter registration organizations to come to campus. That is intentional. So, the best antidote is to organize communities.”
Student reactions
Junior Parker Rothbart, vice president of WIG, said she wanted to host Behn because of her willingness to talk to college students and the relevance of the upcoming congressional race.
“I’ve talked to her campaign team a lot, and she’s so open to talking to young people because that’s a key part of her constituency,” Rothbart said. “I wanted to bring her to campus because I thought the Vanderbilt community needed to hear from her, and they need to know that this race is something they should care about.”
Silver said she was pleased with the event’s turnout and that many attendees wanted to ask Behn questions.
“I didn’t even anticipate taking audience member questions until the last 15 minutes of the event, but I noticed so many people itching to ask Behn questions,” Silver said. “Behn did a terrific job expressing herself so eloquently and in a very encouraging and inspiring way.”
