The political landscape has a way of producing moments that make you sit up and take notice. Former Vice President Kamala Harris stepping back onto the campaign trail in ruby-red Tennessee qualifies as one of those moments.
Harris made her first campaign appearance since losing the 2024 presidential election, showing up Tuesday in Nashville to rally support for Democratic congressional candidate Aftyn Behn. The former vice president’s return to retail politics comes as Democrats attempt something that borders on political fantasy: flipping Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, a seat that has not sent a Democrat to Washington in decades.
The day’s itinerary tells its own story. Harris visited Fisk University, the historically Black college, before heading to a canvassing kickoff event at Nashville’s Hadley Park. She then capped the evening with a book tour stop at the Ryman Auditorium, promoting her memoir “107 Days.”
At the park rally, Harris kept her remarks focused on regional pride rather than the candidate herself. “Why am I in Tennessee? Because I know the power is in the South,” she told the assembled crowd. Notably, she did not mention Behn by name, instead urging supporters to get out the vote.
The timing of Harris’s appearance deserves scrutiny. Democrats are riding high after gubernatorial victories in Virginia and New Jersey earlier this month, wins that have energized the party faithful and prompted questions about whether momentum is shifting. Harris’s willingness to campaign in such hostile territory suggests Democrats believe they can capitalize on that energy, even in districts where the math seems impossible.
The Republican National Committee wasted no time responding. Spokeswoman Delanie Bomar delivered a pointed assessment: “Kamala Harris must’ve fallen out of the coconut tree if she thinks the AOC of Tennessee stands a chance. This is Trump country and Republicans will win Dec. 2.”
That “AOC of Tennessee” reference points to the progressive reputation Behn has cultivated as a state representative. The comparison to New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one Democrats embrace and Republicans weaponize, depending on which side of the aisle you occupy.
Progressive activist David Hogg also stumped for Behn last weekend, another sign that national Democrats are treating this special election as more than a throwaway contest. Hogg, the former Democratic National Committee vice chair who rose to prominence as a gun control advocate, recorded social media videos urging young Democrats to support Behn’s congressional run.
Harris’s return to campaigning follows her appearance earlier this month at a rally supporting California’s redistricting efforts. Governor Gavin Newsom called a special election on what became known as “Prop 50,” which passed on Election Day and could hand Democrats up to five additional congressional districts. That victory came as part of a broader Democratic strategy to counter Trump-backed redistricting efforts in Texas and other states ahead of the midterm elections.
The question hanging over Tuesday’s events is whether Harris’s involvement helps or hurts Democratic chances in conservative territory. Presidential also-rans carry complicated legacies, and their campaign appearances can energize both supporters and opponents.
The December 2 special election will provide answers. Until then, Harris’s willingness to wade into a district this red tells us something about Democratic strategy and perhaps about her own political future. In politics, as in life, you learn as much from where people show up as from what they say when they get there.
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