"They're coming to Tennessee to try to take a congressional seat."
Tennessee Republican Party Chair Scott Golden offered this warning to party faithful last week at the Cumberland County Lincoln Day Dinner in the tiny town of Crab Orchard.
Over a dinner of turkey, ham and mashed potatoes, and after a keynote speech by an actual Abraham Lincoln impersonator, Golden noted that a 2 December special election to fill an open congressional seat has put his state at the centre of the American political universe - Democratic resources are pouring in.
Earlier this month, the Democratic Party Chair held a rally in the district. And last Tuesday, former Vice-President Kamala Harris visited campaign workers at a canvassing event.
"Why am I in Tennessee?" she asked the crowd. "Because I know the power is in the South."
