The Brief: Taylor Swift endorsed Democratic congressional candidates in the Tennessee and told fans to vote in the US midterm elections.

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Taylor Swift may be one of the most well-known and influential musicians in the world, but until recently, she has kept her political views to herself. On October 8, she broke this silence, saying she plans to vote for Democratic candidates Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper in the Tennessee congressional race. In an Instagram post, Swift wrote that she “cannot” support Marsha Blackburn because “her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me.” In the post, Swift advocates for human rights, noting the prevalence of systemic racism and discrimination against LGBTQ people. She asks fans to register to vote and to “educate yourself on the candidates running in your state”

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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! 🗳😃🌈

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Because of her clout, Swift’s Instagram post may have contributed to a spike in voter registration, some reports say. Taylor has 112 million Instagram followers and 84 million Twitter followers.

In her acceptance speech for the American Music Award (AMA) for artist of the year, Taylor told fans to “get out and vote” in the November 6 midterm elections.

Swift has faced backlash from some conservative politicians and their supporters for her choice to share her political opinions. When asked about her recent endorsements, President Trump told reporters that he likes “Taylor’s music about 25% less now.”