Taylor Swift endorses Democrats in Tennessee midterm races - CNN

Taylor Swift no longer mum on politics after endorsing Democrats in Tennessee midterm races

By Sandra Gonzalez, CNN

Updated 1236 GMT (2036 HKT) October 8, 2018

Taylor Swift breaks political silence
Taylor Swift breaks political silence

    JUST WATCHED

    Taylor Swift breaks political silence

Replay
More Videos ...

MUST WATCH

Taylor Swift breaks political silence 02:02

(CNN)Midterms, look what you made Taylor Swift do.

In a rare move, singer Taylor Swift has weighed in on politics in a major way, endorsing Tennessee Democrats Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper, who are running for Senate and House of Representatives, respectively.
By her own admission, Swift has been "reluctant" to voice her political opinions in the past, but, she said in an Instagram post, "due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now."
    View this post on Instagram

    I'm writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I'll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past I've been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love. Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway. So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to register, which is quick and easy to do. October 9th is the LAST DAY to register to vote in the state of TN. Go to vote.org and you can find all the info. Happy Voting! 🗳😃🌈

    A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on

    "I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country," she wrote. "I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent."
      RELATED: This is the single most important Senate race in the country
      Read More
      Swift went after Bredesen's senate race rival, Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn, in her post, saying the politician's voting record "appalls and terrifies me."
      Senate candidate Phil Bredesen and Taylor Swift in 2010
      Senate candidate Phil Bredesen and Taylor Swift in 2010
      Bredesen served as governor of Tennessee from 2003 to 2011.
        In a tweet, Bredesen thanked Swift for her "kind words."
        "I'm honored to have your support and that of so many Tennesseans who are ready to put aside the partisan shouting and get things done," he wrote. "We're ready for it."
        "The choice continues to be clear: voters can either have more of the same old partisan shouting that's coming out of D.C, or they can hire someone who has a track record of getting things done for Tennessee," Bredesen's campaign added in a statement to CNN.
        Swift included a plea to her young adult fans in her post, urging them to register before the deadline.
        "So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count," she wrote.
          Swift added: "Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway."
          CNN's Dan Merica and Hunter Schwarz contributed to this story.