Matt Van Epps, a former commissioner in Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s administration, won a crowded Republican primary Tuesday in the special election to replace a GOP congressman who left office this summer. Van Epps clinched the victory with an endorsement from President Donald Trump that came after in-person early voting ended. Eleven Republicans were on the ballot for the seat vacated by former U.S. Rep. Mark Green. Among them, two candidates, including state Rep. Lee Reeves, suspended their campaigns after Trump weighed in, and they likewise endorsed Van Epps. The Dec. 2 general election could gauge the popularity of Trump’s aggressive second-term agenda, especially with suburban Republican voters. The seat is one of three districts that GOP lawmakers drew as safely red in 2022 by dividing left-leaning Nashville. Its voters elected Green by 21 percentage points in 2024 and by nearly 22 points in 2022. During the primary campaign, Van Epps leaned into his military experience, including as a Tennessee Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and as an Army Special Operations helicopter pilot. Among the competitors he defeated were state Reps. Jody Barrett and Gino Bulso. Trump’s backing followed Van Epps’ prior endorsements from Lee, Green and U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan. Democrats attack Trump policiesThe four Democratic candidates in the race, meanwhile, have attacked the legislation Trump dubbed the “Big, Beautiful Bill," in addition to his tariffs. Rep. Aftyn Behn is a social worker and community organizer who has focused on women’s reproductive health rights, including as a plaintiff in a lawsuit against a Tennessee law banning adults from helping minors get an abortion without parental permission. A judge has halted the provision’s enforcement. Rep. Vincent Dixie, a businessman in the bail bond industry, has touted his record of having served as the first Black leader of a legislative caucus in state history. He said in a campaign video from a garbage truck that “Washington has been piling up garbage for working families.” Rep. Bo Mitchell, who works in employee benefits, has focused on access to health care and his roots in Dickson County, a rural part of the district. Darden Copeland founded the public affairs firm named Calvert Street Group and has worked as a consultant on Democratic campaigns. He has seized on being in the private sector amid a field of elected officials. District includes Nashville, rural areas, suburbsThe 7th Congressional District spans 14 counties, bordering both Kentucky and Alabama. Along with parts of Nashville, it includes rural areas, wealthy suburbs and part of a military installment, Fort Campbell. Outside groups spent more than $3.1 million on the race, almost all on the GOP side, with about $1.1 million opposing Barrett. The Republican contenders praised Trump and expressed staunch opposition to anything perceived as liberal or “woke.” The special election offered state House members an enticing chance to run for Congress without forfeiting their seats or running simultaneous races. Of its nine seats in the U.S. House, Tennessee currently has one Democrat, Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis. Republican redistricting in 2022 allowed the GOP to flip another Democratic seat that was drawn to include only part of Nashville.
