Update: After we asked Senator Still for more information, he now says he was never in the military. This is part of a larger story.
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The below is taken from a longer version of a recorded telephone conversation between Sen. Shawn Still and candidate Tori Branum in which Still discourages Branum from continuing her campaign for the Senate seat in District6 20 now held by Sen. Larry Walker. The entire conversation as posted on facebook is transcribed on the bottom of this page.
Transcripts by Rev.com
- From Branum: “He messaged me on Facebook March 5 and said hey this is Senator still I met you at Stacy’s party. Can you give me a call. So I called him. That was the same day that I qualified to run.”
Shawn Still:
I never heard the 190,000 that live in your district.
Tori:
Right, and they’re gonna know me by the time I get done. They’re gonna know me by the time I get done, and if I lose, that’s fine. Hey, it’s practice. But as an American veteran, I have a right to run for office in my country.
Shawn Still:
Tori, don’t, don’t ever say that to me again. I am too. I’ve served proudly, and you don’t need to throw that in my face.
Tori:
Well, u- you… And you have a right to serve in any capacity that you want, just like I do.
Shawn Still:
And I never s- and I never, ever, ever said that. All I said was, “I think that you have a realistic path in this. Going down a suicide mission, on a kamikaze run, is not one that has a high chance of success, and if you want to be successful, you may want to aim a little lower than where you’re aiming-
Tori:
So what would make me-
Shawn Still:
… because [inaudible 00:00:55].”
Tori:
… as successful? The fact that people write big checks to him?
Shawn Still:
He controls the caucus leadership pack. And if you don’t know what that means, you need to look that up.
Tori:
I do know what it means.
Shawn Still:
Okay.
Tori:
‘Cause I’ve been researching, trying to run for five years, and I’ve, I’ve learned the issue is I… (laughs) And I’m teachable-
Shawn Still:
[inaudible 00:01:19]-
Tori:
… and I research and I learn-
Shawn Still:
… [inaudible 00:01:20].
Tori:
… and I don’t let leadership tell me what to do. I will make decisions, informed decisions; not based on what-
Shawn Still:
Yeah, and u- this is me-
Tori:
… somebody else said.
Shawn Still:
… giving you an informed decision. This is not me telling you what to do.
Tori:
How would Trump back Larry Walker when he wants the swamp cleaned? He’s a pure politician. Nobody’s seen his face since 2015 was the last time he was a co-host. How would Trump back that?
Shawn Still:
‘Cause he only got elected the year before Trump did.
Tori:
Right. Nobody saw him through two elections: through the first Trump, through the Biden. Nobody has seen his face. They just vote because he’s the only one on the ballot.
I may not have 10 million dollars but I got a social media that gets millions and millions of views, and I will use that-
Shawn Still:
I-
Tori:
… to my advantage. And I-… end of transcript.
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Below is the complete conversation posted on Facebook – which is not the entire phone conversation as recording apparently began after the call to from Sen. Shawn Still.
Tori Branum:
My name is Tori Branum, and I am running for Senate in District 20. It’s the district I know very well. I’ve trained thousands of people to shoot their guns. I’m a eight-year Marine Corps veteran. I’ve been studying policy. I’ve been to the border. You can watch a lot of my videos. I am up on what is going on. And I have integrity, I’m honest, and I’m forthright. And today, after I qualified, I get a message on Facebook from Senator Shawn Still telling me to call him, and he was basically telling me that I don’t have enough money to run, I need to aim lower, they’re gonna eat me alive, I’ll never be able to run for politics again. I’m gonna let you hear what he had to tell me. Um, it’s very insulting. Um, and if you wanna donate to my campaign, it’s toriforgeorgia on Venmo, or you can mail me a check. Message me, I’ll give you my address.
Shawn Still:
Let me start with you.
Tori Branum:
Well, I know that my people write checks, but I know the people in the district. I, I know them in all counties, Dodge, Treutlan, Dooly. I’ve trained and been out in the community with all of them. I’m not just sitting, you know, just sit in one place and expect people to guess my name. Like, I have a huge social media, that’s a platform. That’s a new platform and people need to get on board with it. If I can reach millions-
Shawn Still:
It, it’s a platform and-
Tori Branum:
… and millions of people, I have millions and millions of views on my TikTok. I can reach-
Shawn Still:
The only ones that matter are the 190,000 that live in your district.
Tori Branum:
Right, and they’re gonna know me by the time I get done. They’re gonna know me by the time I get done. And if I lose, that’s fine. Hey, it’s practice, but as an American veteran I have a right to run for office in my country.
Shawn Still:
Tori, don’t, don’t ever say that to me again. I am too. I served proudly and you don’t need to throw that in my face.
Tori Branum:
Well, you, and you have a right to serve in any capacity that you want, just like I do.
Shawn Still:
And I never, and I never ever, ever said that. All I said was, I think that you have a realistic path and this going down a suicide mission on a kamikaze run is not one that has a high chance of success. And if you want to be successful you may want to aim a little lower than where you’re aiming.
Tori Branum:
So what would help me as successful? The fact that people write big checks to him?
Shawn Still:
It, he controls the caucus leadership pack. And if you don’t know what that means, you need to look that up.
Tori Branum:
I do know what it means.
Shawn Still:
Okay.
Tori Branum:
I’ve been researching, trying to run for five years and I’ve, I’ve learned the issues. I (laughs), and I’m teachable-
Shawn Still:
And recently you’re from, did you tell me you were from Fayette County?
Tori Branum:
… and I research and I learn and I don’t let leadership tell me what to do. I will make decisions, informed decisions not based-
Shawn Still:
And how about I-
Tori Branum:
On what somebody else tells me.
Shawn Still:
This is me giving you an informed decision. This is not me telling you what to do.
Tori Branum:
How did Trump back Larry Walker when he wants the swamp cleaned? He’s a career politician. Nobody’s seen his face since 2015 was the last time he was opposed. How would Trump back that?
Shawn Still:
‘Cause he only got elected the year before Trump did.
Tori Branum:
Right, and nobody saw him through two elections, through the first Trump, through the Biden. Nobody has seen his face, they just vote because he’s the only one on the ballot. I may not have $10 million dollars, but I got a social media that gets millions and millions of views and I will use that to my advantage. And I will raise the money because let’s see, that’s 100,000 if everybody donates me a dollar. If everybody donates 10, that’s a million. So I can do this grassroots. If not, that’s fine. I’ll go away. I’m not a uh, I mean I won’t go away forever. But I’m, I’m not a sore loser either.
Shawn Still:
Well, I, I just, I think that-
Tori Branum:
Well I mean if he can beat me and all that then what’s the, what’s the use, I mean what’s the, I mean I’m, I mean if he can beat me, then he can beat me fairly and not because I’m gonna be scared of him and back out because people are gonna crucify me. I, I just got my first speeding ticket. Like, I don’t have a criminal record, there’s nothing they’re gonna drag me down and beat me with. And I have a huge female backing, so-
Shawn Still:
You know, I don’t know your district. I, I, but I know that we are in the caucus.
Tori Branum:
I know it very well. And it’s six, six of the counties I worked very closely with all the people teaching shooting lessons. I know all the people, and they know me quite well.
Shawn Still:
Well I, I wish you the best.
Tori Branum:
It’s not just Houston count. I know Juliette, I know Treutlen, I know Dodge, I know Lawrence, I live in Lawrence. I know the people.
Shawn Still:
Well look, I, Tori, all I’m trying to say is that I think you have a future in politics. I don’t think running against one of the top Republicans in the State Senate is, is advisable, but if you want to do it, by all means, you’re right. It’s your right to do it. But when May comes along and we know the outcome of that race, and if it does not go the way that you want it to go, you need to step back and remember this conversation.
Tori Branum:
What’s that gonna do? I’ll still move forward with my life. It might not be, it might not, it won’t be in that position if I lose, but I mean, life goes on.
Shawn Still:
It does, it does.
Tori Branum:
So-
Shawn Still:
I’m trying to spare you that.
Tori Branum:
Well what was the, if he’s gonna beat me that bad, then what does it matter if I step down or not? Who’s gonna beat me is gonna beat me. Why does it matter if I get out of the race? He’s gonna, if he’s gonna beat me then he’s gonna beat me. I mean-
Shawn Still:
Yeah. You’re completely missing the point.
Tori Branum:
So you’re telling me when Georgia goes to play a football game against a team that nobody’s heard of, that everybody’s like well let’s not show up because well, they’re gonna beat them anyway? I mean, that’s not, I’m very intelligent and that is why I am not running for a, I want to learn and I’m teachable and I’m smart and I know the issues and so-
Shawn Still:
Maybe you’d be listening to me if you were. But I wish you all the best. Um, I will be working solidly with Larry, and I will be helping him in every way that I can because that’s what caucus members have to do.
Tori Branum:
Okay. Thank you.
Shawn Still:
I just want to give you that respect from a call.
Tori Branum:
Thank you.
Shawn Still:
Good luck. Goodbye.
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