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House Majority PAC Pours $1M Into Tennessee Special Election as Race Nationalizes

03:25 AM, 11/22/2025
House Majority PAC Pours $1M Into Tennessee Special Election as Race Nationalizes

House Majority PAC is spending $1 million on TV and digital ads to support Democrat Aftyn Behn in a Tennessee special election in a district Donald Trump carried by 22 points in 2024. Republicans have already poured more than $1.7 million into the race, including money from a Trump-aligned super PAC and the Club for Growth. Both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have weighed in, and fundraising shows strong small-dollar support for Behn: she reported just over $1 million raised since October, while Matt Van Epps reported $590,000.

House Majority PAC announced a $1 million TV and digital ad buy to support state Rep. Aftyn Behn in a Tennessee special election that has taken on national attention. The district was carried by Donald Trump by 22 percentage points in 2024, making the move a notable escalation by national Democrats.

The spending marks the super PAC’s first direct involvement in a special election this cycle. Republicans have already invested more than $1.7 million in the contest, including funds from a Trump-aligned super PAC and the Club for Growth.

This week both national figures weighed in: President Trump hosted a telephone rally for Republican nominee Matt Van Epps, while Vice President Kamala Harris appeared at a canvass launch for Behn. Democrats privately acknowledge the path to victory is narrow but point to recent instances of Democratic candidates outperforming expectations as reason for cautious optimism.

Earlier this year, Democratic candidates in two Florida special elections—districts Trump won by more than 30 points—raised millions, largely from small online donors. National Democratic super PACs largely stayed out of those races while Republican-aligned groups spent heavily; both Democratic candidates nevertheless outperformed expectations but still lost by roughly 15 points.

Fundraising in the Tennessee race reflects energized grassroots support: Behn reported raising just over $1 million since October, with more than half of that total coming from donors who gave under $200. Van Epps reported $590,000 over the same period, with nearly half of his receipts coming from other political committees, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Why this race matters

The contest will be watched as an early test of whether Democrats can narrow margins in reliably Republican districts ahead of the next major cycles. The combination of high-profile involvement, substantial outside spending and strong small-dollar fundraising makes this special election a bellwether for national campaign dynamics.

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