Phil Bredesen touts Taylor Swift endorsement in new video

Phil Bredesen, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in Tennessee, is running with Taylor Swift's decision to endorse him, touting how rare it is for the pop star to wade into politics in a new digital video and publicly thanking her on Twitter.

Posted 3:38 p.m. Oct 10, 2018 — Updated 3:38 p.m. Oct 10, 2018

Dan Merica

, CNN

(CNN) — Phil Bredesen, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in Tennessee, is running with Taylor Swift's decision to endorse him, touting how rare it is for the pop star to wade into politics in a new digital video and publicly thanking her on Twitter.

In a video, simply titled "Taylor Swift," Bredesen's campaign cribs Swift's song, "Look What You Made Me Do" with a slate aimed at his opponent, Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn, that reads, "Look What Marsha Made Her Do." The video then proceeds to clip together news coverage of Swift's unexpected endorsement, with reporters repeatedly noting the move is "out of the norm" for Swift.

Swift, in a lengthy Instagram post on Sunday, decried Blackburn, a Republican representative who has run toward President Donald Trump in her bid for the Senate.

"Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn," Swift wrote. "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."

Swift slammed Blackburn for not backing equal pay for women, against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act and for her views on gay marriage.

"These are not MY Tennessee values," she wrote before backing Bredesen and Rep. Jim Cooper, who is running for Congress in a safely Democratic seat.

Bredesen is looking to surprise Democrats and Republicans alike and win a Senate seat in Tennessee, a state that backed Trump by 26 percentage points in 2016.

On Tuesday he congratulated Swift for winning an award at the American Music Awards and tweeted a seemingly homemade video thanking her for her endorsement.

"Taylor, I want to just say thanks so much for your endorsement this past weekend and for the very kind words you said about me," said Bredesen, the former governor of Tennessee. "When people like you who are in a position of influence speak out on issue, it's really important and I admire you for it very much."

He added: "I know this is going to be very helpful to me and to this race."

A spokeswoman for Blackburn did not respond to request for comment, but the congresswoman argued on Tuesday that Swift's endorsement doesn't matter to Tennesseans.

"I've got to tell you, Tennesseans are more interested in the fact that Marsha Blackburn is endorsed by the US Chamber of Commerce, by the Fraternal Order of Police, by the Police Benevolent Association, and by the National Rifle Association where I have an A rating in their endorsement," she said, after calling the performer "talented."

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