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Matt Van Epps Wins Tennessee Special Election 52–46 as Democrats Point to Overperformance

Republican Matt Van Epps won the Tennessee 7th District special election 52%–46%, in a result called at 9:47 a.m. EST. Van Epps credited the victory to strong conservative support and virtual campaigning by Donald Trump. The six-point margin was narrower than the district’s recent Trump margins, prompting Democrats to call Behn’s performance a warning sign ahead of the midterms. Both parties invested heavily in the contest to fill the seat vacated by Rep. Mark Green.

01:48 PM, 12/03/2025Politics
Matt Van Epps Wins Tennessee Special Election 52–46 as Democrats Point to Overperformance

Republican Matt Van Epps defeated Democrat Aftyn Behn in a special election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, winning 52% to 46%. The race was called at 9:47 a.m. EST and attracted national attention because the margin was significantly narrower than the district’s recent partisan history.

“This race was bigger than just one campaign,” Van Epps said in a statement. “It represented a defining moment for Tennessee and for the direction of the country.”

Van Epps credited the result to strong conservative turnout and the support of former President Donald Trump, who campaigned virtually in the closing days. Van Epps added, “Running from Trump is how you lose. Running with Trump is how you win,” and pledged to be "all-in" with Trump in Congress.

Republicans have typically held the 7th District comfortably: Trump carried it by about 15 points in 2020 and roughly 22 points in 2024. That history made the six-point margin noteworthy, and Democrats described Behn’s performance as a warning sign ahead of next year’s midterms.

Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin called Behn’s showing “historic and a flashing warning sign for Republicans heading into the midterms,” noting that her campaign focused on lowering grocery, housing and health-care costs. Richard Hudson, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, congratulated Van Epps and praised his readiness to deliver for Tennessee families and small businesses.

Background and campaign dynamics

The contest filled the seat vacated by Republican Rep. Mark Green, who resigned in July to start a firm aimed at competing with Chinese business interests in Guyana. House Republicans hold a slim majority, heightening the political attention on the race.

Van Epps, a West Point graduate and former Army helicopter pilot, emerged from a crowded Republican primary that included nine other GOP contenders. He benefited from high-profile endorsements and significant party spending. Behn, a former community organizer who has represented an east Nashville district in the Tennessee state legislature since 2023, won a closely contested four-way Democratic primary and attracted national Democratic-aligned investment after recent Democratic surprises in other states.

Analysts and strategists noted unusually large spending on both sides in the final stretch. A national Democratic strategist said Republicans poured money into the district in a late effort to prevent an upset, while a senior elections analyst observed that the Republican was still expected to prevail but that a single-digit margin would not have been a surprise.

The 7th District stretches from the Kentucky border toward Alabama. It is largely rural but also includes parts of blue-leaning Nashville and the city of Clarksville, giving the district a mix of conservative and more Democratic-leaning voters.

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