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A Substack subscriber approached at a campaign event and asked, “When’s the next one coming out?” I apologized for the delay, as my life has been as chaotic as opening day at Dollywood. But, as we head into the final week of Early Voting, I feel compelled to disentangle the sticky web that is money, perception and corporate power.
Y’all know I love to start with political education, so let’s begin with the “Devil’s Bargain.” The Devil’s Bargain is the incestuous relationship between corporations that cut deals with the Party in Power while selling out our freedoms, safety, and civil rights in exchange for tax breaks and bigger profits. The same companies that buy a spot in the Nashville PRIDE parade bankroll the Republican supermajority that tries to one-up their “slate of hate” every year, because it’s lucrative for them… VERY lucrative.
Just look at the franchise tax refund passed last year. Republicans handed out a $1.55 billion corporate giveaway (and growing) of YOUR tax dollars—a retroactive tax refund that sent checks to some of the wealthiest corporations in the world. Companies like FedEx, AT&T, and Nissan cashed in while Tennesseans got nothing but higher grocery bills and bigger potholes. And this happened in the same year that the legislature gutted protections for LGBTQ+ youth, attacked reproductive freedom, and doubled down on policies that criminalize our communities.
Hence the bargain…corporations stay quiet—or worse, actively bankroll—while rights are stripped away, because in return they get massive payouts. Unfortunately, Tennessee has been turned into a playground for corporate profit at the expense of its people.
So, what does the Devil’s Bargain have to do with this special Congressional race? Everything.
In this race, you can see the same playbook, just with a different twist. In addition to corporations cutting the checks directly, the candidates who’ve spent their careers lobbying for or working alongside these companies and billionaires are now using their own fortunes to bankroll their campaigns.
If you want to understand how elections are bought in Tennessee, look no further than this race. Three candidates—Republicans Gino Bulso and Lee Reeves, and Democratic corporate consultant Darden Copeland [ [link removed] ]—have poured a combined $1 million of their own money into this special election. That’s nearly half of the $2.5 million raised by the top contenders so far. Think about that: almost half the resources shaping this race aren’t coming from the people of Dickson or Montgomery or North Nashville. They’re coming straight out of the personal bank accounts of people wealthy enough to treat a congressional seat like a Titans season PSL—something you can just buy if you’re liquid enough.
Copeland, who built a public affairs firm, Calvert Street, cut himself a $125,000 check [ [link removed] ]. Although he’s not technically taking corporate PAC money or bankrolled by billionaires, he has made his money by running corporate campaigns to put landfills next to communities and lobbying for corporate projects, such as the Titans stadium deal—the most expensive taxpayer-subsidized stadium in U.S. history, a billion-dollar gift to billionaires and out-of-state developers. [ [link removed] ]
The “grassroots” donors aren’t proof of a grassroots surge; they’re the byproduct of a self-funded cash dump, a strategy designed to create the appearance of momentum with a candidate who has little to no name ID. It’s a mirage of people power built on corporate-style tactics—manufactured mail, paid buzz, and the kind of money some of us could never dream of dropping into a campaign. You can find his full disclosure form by clicking here. [ [link removed] ]
The other two Democrats either receive money from or are on the boards of HCA [ [link removed] ] and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee [ [link removed] ], both for-profit healthcare companies known for skirting regulations, lowering the quality of care, and maximizing profits to push more Tennesseans into medical debt. In fact, BCBS settled a historic $2.8 billion antitrust settlement with providers who said the company colluded to carve up markets, underpay providers, suppress competition, and divide U.S. “service areas. [ [link removed] ]
And good lord—the dark money already pouring into the Republican side of this race. I know how this game works. Last cycle, I worked for a progressive super PAC [ [link removed] ], mobilizing voters for the reproductive rights referendum in Montana. As a result, I’ve seen firsthand how money in politics gets laundered to hide donors while financing attack ads from behind a screen. Just look at Republican Jody Barrett. He’s under siege right now from pro-voucher outside groups desperate to buy this seat for their preferred candidate. [ [link removed] ] (BTW, I fully commit to eliminating SuperPACs if elected to Congress.)
So, as the next Congresswoman from Tennessee, what will I do?
End self-funding loopholes that let candidates treat campaigns as their personal checkbooks.
Pass “clean money” rules: caps on self contributions, limits on PAC influence, full disclosure of donors.
Push for public financing of campaigns, so folks who can’t write a six-figure check can still run.
Root out the corporate giveaways: end sweetheart subsidies and demand accountability when taxpayer dollars go to the same companies that force us to take on medical debt
This race is a choice. As my sixth-grade favorite poet, Robert Frost, wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
For me, the road less traveled is the path of people power. It’s slower, it’s harder, and it doesn’t come with multiple glossy mailers or campaign self-loans. However, it’s the only path that leads to trust, accountability, and a politics rooted in the lives of real people.
October 7 is our fork in the road. Do we keep traveling the well-worn path of the Devil’s Bargain—where corporate money buys power and the rest of us are left with crumbs? Or do we take the road less traveled, the one built by us — social workers, teachers, nurses, veterans, and bus drivers who believe democracy still belongs to us?
I believe we’re ready to choose differently. And if we do, it will make all the difference.
Let’s go out and win this,
Aftyn
8 DAYS OUT FROM THE ELECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!
We’ve been hustling since Launch Day, and we’re so proud of all we’ve accomplished. An independent poll showed us with a slim margin in the Democratic Primary, but we always organize like we’re the underdog. Below is how you can help this final week to send Aftyn to Congress!
VOLUNTEER TO PHONEBANK
We’ve got in-person and remote phonebanks almost every day this week! Join our incredible team of volunteers and staff to get out of the vote!
WANT TO DROP OFF INFORMATION TO VOTERS?
Live close to the district and want to get your steps in? Email our Field Director, Kristin, at [email protected] to grab some addresses and literature to drop off at houses that have yet to vote!
ORGANIZE YOUR CONTACTS
Do you know voters who live in CD7? Send them the link below, which contains voting information and times; instruct them to pull a Democratic ballot and vote for Aftyn!

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