Aftyn Behn

Aftyn Behn

Democratic Party

Candidate, U.S. House Tennessee District 7

Tennessee House of Representatives District 51

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2026

Years in position

1

Predecessor

Bill Beck

Compensation

Base salary

$28,405.96/year

Per diem

$326.47/day. Legislators living within 50 miles of the Capitol receive a reduced amount of $47 per day.

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Next election

October 7, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

University of Texas at Austin

Personal

Profession

Social worker

Contact

Official website

Personal Facebook

Aftyn Behn (Democratic Party) is a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, representing District 51. She assumed office on October 4, 2023. Her current term ends on November 3, 2026.

Behn (Democratic Party) is running in a special election to the U.S. House to represent Tennessee's 7th Congressional District. She is on the ballot in the special Democratic primary on October 7, 2025.^[source]

Behn is also running for election to the U.S. House to represent Tennessee's 7th Congressional District. She declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Behn is also running for re-election to the Tennessee House of Representatives to represent District 51. She declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Biography

Aftyn Behn earned a degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Behn's career experience includes working as the campaign director of RuralOrganizing.org.

Elections

2026

See also: Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 51

Incumbent Aftyn Behn is running in the general election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 51 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Aftyn Behn (D)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2025

See also: Tennessee's 7th Congressional District special election, 2025

Tennessee's 7th Congressional District special election, 2025 (October 7 Democratic primary)

Tennessee's 7th Congressional District special election, 2025 (October 7 Republican primary)

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

The primary will occur on October 7, 2025. The general election will occur on December 2, 2025. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Special general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 7

Teresa Christie, Bobby Dodge, Robert James Sutherby, and Jonathan Thorp are running in the special general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 7 on December 2, 2025.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Teresa Christie (Independent)
	Submit photo	Bobby Dodge (Independent)
	Submit photo	Robert James Sutherby (Independent)
		Jonathan Thorp (Independent)

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Steven Hooper (Independent)
• Scerick Richard Longcope (Independent)
• David Richard Holbert (Independent)
• Caleb Stack (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7

Aftyn Behn, Darden Copeland, Vincent Dixie, and Bo Mitchell are running in the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7 on October 7, 2025.

		Candidate
		Aftyn Behn
		Darden Copeland
		Vincent Dixie
		Bo Mitchell

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joy Davis (D)

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7

The following candidates are running in the special Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7 on October 7, 2025.

		Candidate
		Jody Barrett
		Gino Bulso
		Stuart Cooper
	Submit photo	Adolph Agbéko Dagan
	Submit photo	Mason Foley
		Jason Knight
		Joe Leurs
		Stewart Parks
		Lee Reeves
		Matt Van Epps
		Tres Wittum

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Robby Moore (R)
• Robert James Sutherby (R)
• Brandon Ogles (R)
• Eddie Lee Murphy (R)
• John Wilt (R)
• John Wesley Smith IV (R)
• Michael Vogel (R)
• Noah Cline (R)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2024

See also: Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 51

Incumbent Aftyn Behn defeated Jeffry Ketelsen in the general election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 51 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aftyn Behn (D)	73.9	24,391
	Submit photo	Jeffry Ketelsen (Independent)	26.1	8,626

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,017
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 51

Incumbent Aftyn Behn advanced from the Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 51 on August 1, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aftyn Behn	100.0	6,145

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,145
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Behn in this election.

2023

See also: Tennessee state legislative special elections, 2023

General election

Special general election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 51

Aftyn Behn defeated David Hooven and Annabelle Lee in the special general election for Tennessee House of Representatives District 51 on September 14, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aftyn Behn (D)	75.6	10,654
		David Hooven (R)	21.5	3,030
	Submit photo	Annabelle Lee (Independent)	2.9	408

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 14,092
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 51

Aftyn Behn defeated incumbent Anthony Davis in the special Democratic primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 51 on August 3, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aftyn Behn	53.5	5,267
		Anthony Davis	46.5	4,582

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,849
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 51

David Hooven advanced from the special Republican primary for Tennessee House of Representatives District 51 on August 3, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		David Hooven	97.9	1,515
		Other/Write-in votes	2.1	33

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,548
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Behn in this election.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Aftyn Behn has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Aftyn Behn asking her to fill out the survey. If you are Aftyn Behn, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

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You can ask Aftyn Behn to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing team@aftynbehn.com.

2025

Aftyn Behn has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Aftyn Behn, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 22,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.

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2024

Aftyn Behn did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2023

Aftyn Behn completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Behn's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

As a licensed social worker, I’ve spent my entire career pushing for policies that help working Tennessee families. From driving across the state raising awareness about Trump’s attacks on healthcare to standing up for victims of sexual assault at the legislature, my work advocating for Tennesseans prepares me for the job as your Representative. My relentless pressure campaigns have forced Tennessee’s most extreme politicians to resign and retire. I’ve helped to elect Democrats at every level of government, and I’ve worked tirelessly to build a Tennessee For All. I’ve learned what strategies work and don’t work, and I know that by mobilizing neighborhoods in our district and forging multi-racial coalitions, I can continue to challenge the status quo and extremism.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Uphold and defend LGBTQIA and reproductive rights, especially as the state criminalizes pregnancy and increases state surveillance of our trans community.
• Stand up to state overreach and introduce tactics I’ve learned from other states to combat the racist, undemocratic state preemption of our cities
• I will push to expand supports for caregivers across the state as they deserve to be respected, protected and paid for the essentialism work they do every day

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Fighting corporate monopolies, challenging state overreach, make living in Nashville more affordable, climate justice, abortion access, participatory democracy, stopping the privatization of our public education system, breaking the NRA's stranglehold on Tennessee politics, affordable housing

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky; Emergent Strategies by Adrienne Marie Brown

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Servant leadership means a willingness to listen, vulnerability, empathy, self-awareness, and the desire to create a less toxic, less ego-driven work environment while working with the House Caucus

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I helped organize the protests for gun reform after the tragic Covenant shooting and have been an organizer alongside the Tennessee 3 for years. I want to make sure our state protects our kids and families- first and foremost. That includes keeping our kids safe in our schools, fighting for women to have the right to choose if and when to have a family, and protecting our LGTBQ residents from life-threatening government overreach. I will boldly stand up to rogue extremists in the legislature and continue to apply pressure on the bad actors who are hurting our families.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Standing up for my most vulnerability constituencies, organizing to remove extreme Republicans in order to pass progressive policies

What legacy would you like to leave?

Leaving Tennessee a more affordable, safer and better place for our kids

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

hostess at a local Knoxville restaurant

What is your favorite book? Why?

American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

I've Just Seen A Face by The Dillards

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Extremism and the unaffordability of daily life

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

No, as often entrenched and career politicians are the ones holding us back from creating new systems and improving the lives of Tennesseans.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes, and as a rural organizer, I plan to build relationships with both Republican and Democratic legislators who want to ensure our rural communities are prosperous by introducing a bill to open an Office of Rural Prosperity.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I admire Ann Richards, former Governor of Texas.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Perhaps, we'll see how this election goes!

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Talking to constituents in House District 51, they are struggling to afford to live in Nashville, raise their kids, own a home, and fear the attacks on our communities from the Republican supermajority. I've spoken to many parents of trans kids who fear seeking healthcare in this state. Every story I hear on the campaign trail makes me want to fight even harder for our community.

Tell us your favorite joke.

What's the difference between an accountant and a lawyer? An accountant knows they're boring. (My partner is a lawyer and my brother/father are both accountants.)

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

In its current condition, absolutely not.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

In a state like Tennessee, we cannot negotiate with extremists who have shifted the Overton window so far to the right. We need to work to remove the most extreme Republicans across the state and fight to break the Republican supermajority in 2024.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

A progressive tax relief policy that taxes corporations and removes the sales tax (which disproportionately hurts working-class families)

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

United Rural Democrats

What committees interest you?

Health, Civil Justice, Local Government

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Aftyn Behn campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. House Tennessee District 7	Candidacy Declared general	$0	N/A**
2025*	U.S. House Tennessee District 7	On the Ballot primary	$0	N/A**
2024*	Tennessee House of Representatives District 51	Won general	$65,624	$62,605
2023	Tennessee House of Representatives District 51	Won general	$68,747	$43,562
Grand total			$134,371	$106,167
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Virginia

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Virginia scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2024

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show].

In 2024, the Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 10 to March 9. Special sessions occurred May 13, 2024; June 18 to July 1; and July 18, 2024. Club for Growth Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Equality Virginia Legislators are scored on their votes "on a variety of bills impacting equity, safety, access, and overall well being for LGBTQ+ Virginians." Sierra Club Virginia Chapter Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental and conservation issues. Virginia Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Virginia Citizens Defense League Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the Second Amendment. Virginia Education Association Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education. Virginia Manufactures Association Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the manufacturing sector.

2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].

In 2023, the Virginia State Legislature was in session from January 11 to February 25. Sierra Club Virginia Chapter Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental and conservation issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. The Institute for Legislative Analysis Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution. Virginia Citizens Defense League Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the Second Amendment. Virginia Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Virginia Education Association Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education. Virginia Manufactures Association Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the manufacturing sector.

See also

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Officeholder

Tennessee House of Representatives District 51

Website

Personal

Facebook

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Bill Beck (D)	Tennessee House of Representatives District 51 2023-Present	Succeeded by -

[show]

Tennessee's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Marsha Blackburn (R)

Bill Hagerty (R)

Representatives

District 1

Diana Harshbarger (R)

District 2

Tim Burchett (R)

District 3

Charles Fleischmann (R)

District 4

Scott DesJarlais (R)

District 5

Andy Ogles (R)

District 6

John Rose (R)

District 7

Vacant

District 8

David Kustoff (R)

District 9

Steve Cohen (D)

Republican Party (9)

Democratic Party (1)

Vacancies (1)