TN-HD75: District 75 state House race could prove an early referendum on abortion

Tennessee doesn’t have an abortion referendum on the ballot this year, but the state House race in District 75, which encompasses the city of Clarksville, may yield the clearest indication yet of how much the issue sways Tennessee voters.

Incumbent Republican Rep. Jeff Burkhart, a former city councilmember and small business owner first elected to state office in 2022, faces political newcomer Allie Phillips, a former day care operator.

Phillips, 29, drew national attention after speaking publicly about obtaining an out-of-state abortion after a wanted pregnancy last year became nonviable at 19 weeks, placing her health at risk. Her posts on TikTok about the experience earned millions of views, national headlines and caught the attention of Democratic Party leadership in Tennessee.

Phillips said her first priority, if elected, is enacting “Miley’s Law,” the name she and her husband planned to give the baby they lost. The measure would carve out an exception for fetal anomalies to the state’s ban.




https://tennesseelookout.com/2024/10/16/district-75-state-house-race-could-prove-an-early-referendum-on-abortion/