The looming election Trump can't afford to lose

In a Tennessee district the president won by 22% last year, a Democratic upset could prompt Republican panic.

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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."