(CNN) — In a rare move, singer Taylor Swift has weighed in on politics in a major way, endorsing Tennessee Democrats Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper, who are running for Senate and House of Representatives, respectively.
By her own admission, Swift has been “reluctant” to voice her political opinions in the past, but, she said in an Instagram post, “due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now.”
“I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country,” she wrote. “I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent.”
Swift went after Bredesen’s senate race rival, Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn, in her post, saying the politician’s voting record “appalls and terrifies me.”
Bredesen served as governor of Tennessee from 2003 to 2011.
In a tweet, Bredesen thanked Swift for her “kind words.”
“I’m honored to have your support and that of so many Tennesseans who are ready to put aside the partisan shouting and get things done,” he wrote. “We’re ready for it.”
Swift included a plea to her young adult fans in her post, urging them to register before the deadline.
“So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count,” she wrote.
Swift added: “Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway.”
