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Taylor Swift's candidate lost the Tennessee Senate race, despite her high-profile endorsement

Nov 7, 2018, 19:49 IST

A composite image showing Taylor Swift at the American Music Awards in October and Senate candidate Phil Bredesen delivering his concession speech on Tuesday.Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File/Drew Angerer/Getty Images/Business Insider

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  • Swift broke her usual policy of political silence to endorse Senate candidate Phil Bredesen from her home state of Tennessee in October.
  • Swift criticized Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn's record on issues such as LGBT and women's rights.
  • Voter registration spiked nationwide after Swift's endorsement, but Blackburn was safely elected in the red state.
  • Swift also endorsed Rep. Jim Cooper for the House, who successfully kept his seat.
  • Follow our live blog of the midterm election results.

The Democratic Senate candidate for Tennessee, whom Taylor Swift endorsed in a high-profile break from her political silence last month, has lost.

Swift endorsed Phil Bredesen on Instagram in October, saying that she was spurred to speak out in opposition to the Republican congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, who represents Tennessee's 7th District in the US House, saying Blackburn's voting record "appalls and terrifies me."

Blackburn - who has opposed same-sex marriage, argued to defund Planned Parenthood, and is conservative on issues like gun control and immigration - kept the red state in Republican hands.

Swift described her opposition to Blackburn in October, writing on Instagram: "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."

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Read More: Midterms 2018 LIVE: Democrats take the House, GOP holds the Senate in a wild election night

Blackburn was slated to win in the solidly Republican state, but Democrats' hopes were raised when voter registration spiked after Swift's endorsement.

About 65,000 people nationwide registered to vote in the 24 hours after the endorsement, Vote.org said. 44,801 of those people were between the ages of 18 and 24.

Swift also endorsed Rep. Jim Cooper, a Democrat who represents Tennessee's 5th District, who was successfully re-elected.

Swift's endorsements angered members of the so-called alt-right, who called her a traitor and called for violence after her announcement.

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Bredesen tweeted on Tuesday: "I am encouraged by the energy, especially of the young people involved in this campaign, and what that will mean for the future of our state. Don't be discouraged, stay engaged, and never give up."

He also told Business Insider in October that Swift's endorsement was "out of the blue."

"I had no reason to believe she would even know I was running, let alone that she would do this."

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