Republican Matt Van Epps won Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District special election, defeating Democrat Aftyn Behn by roughly nine points and narrowing, but not erasing, the GOP’s prior edge in the solidly conservative district. Republican strategists say the outcome underscores the risks they see for Democrats in nominating candidates they describe as too far to the left in competitive races.
The special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, held on December 2, 2025, saw Republican Matt Van Epps defeat Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn in a closely watched contest that drew national attention.
According to official results reported by PBS and summarized in race tallies, Van Epps received about 53.9% of the vote, while Behn took about 45.1%, an 8.9‑point margin. (en.wikipedia.org) The outcome keeps the seat in Republican hands after the resignation of Rep. Mark Green, a Republican, who stepped down in July 2025 to take a private‑sector job. (en.wikipedia.org) Van Epps was sworn into office on the Thursday following the election, filling the vacancy for the remainder of the current Congress. (en.wikipedia.org)
Green had previously carried the district by about 21 percentage points in 2024, and former President Donald Trump also won there by roughly 22 points, underscoring the district’s Republican lean. (en.wikipedia.org) Van Epps’ smaller margin has been read by some analysts as evidence that Democrats modestly improved their performance, even as Republicans retained the seat. (apnews.com)
The race featured heavy involvement from national political figures. President Trump endorsed Van Epps and, according to The Daily Wire, phoned into a rally with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R‑La.) to energize Republican voters. (dailywire.com) Democratic leaders also invested in the contest: outlets including the Associated Press and The Washington Post have reported that high‑profile Democrats such as Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned or recorded messages in support of Behn, as part of a broader effort to test national messaging on economic issues in red states. (apnews.com)
Behn, a state lawmaker who has emphasized affordability and cost‑of‑living issues, framed her campaign as proof that Democrats can compete even in deep‑red territory. The Daily Wire reported that she posted on X after the race, writing: “Tonight, we did something everyone counted out. We proved to a nation that states like Tennessee are still worth fighting for. The margin was close, and that can only be attributed to the thousands of volunteers who showed out. This is just the beginning.” (dailywire.com)
Behn emerged as the Democratic nominee from a crowded primary that included consultant Darden Copeland and state Reps. Bo Mitchell and Vincent Dixie. She won that October 7 primary by a relatively narrow margin, according to local election results and subsequent reporting. (en.wikipedia.org) Republican strategists interviewed by The Daily Wire characterized her as the most progressive candidate in the field and argued that such a profile made it harder for Democrats to win in the district. (dailywire.com)
In an analysis published by The Daily Wire, Colin Reed of South & Hill Strategies called Van Epps’ 8.9‑point victory “nearly a double digit win” and described him as the “type of candidate the GOP needs more of,” while warning that the broader midterm political climate “remains challenging” for Republicans. Reed argued that Democrats “need to nominate less extreme candidates if they want to compete beyond the deep blue bastions of America,” reflecting a common GOP view of Behn’s politics. (dailywire.com)
Chris Burger of Rotunda Public Affairs told The Daily Wire that “voters weren’t buying what she’s selling,” labeling Behn a “far‑left socialist” and contending that she was out of step with district values. An additional Republican operative, speaking on background to the outlet, called the nearly nine‑point margin “very encouraging” but cautioned that special elections often differ from standard general elections because of turnout patterns. (dailywire.com)
Those GOP assessments came as both parties parsed what the Tennessee result might signal for the 2026 midterms. The Daily Wire noted that Republicans currently hold 220 seats in the U.S. House, compared with 213 for Democrats, with two vacancies, leaving the narrow majority hinging on the 218 votes needed to control the chamber. (dailywire.com) Other outlets, including The Washington Post and The Week, have similarly described the 7th District race as a potential early indicator of how each party’s messaging on issues such as inflation, affordability and Trump’s influence may play in competitive districts next cycle. (washingtonpost.com)
While Republicans celebrated holding the seat, Democrats pointed to the roughly 13‑point shift toward their party compared with 2024 margins as evidence that even a loss could offer a template for making inroads in historically safe Republican districts. (apnews.com)
