Republican Matt Van Epps held on to Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District in a special election on December 2, 2025, winning by just under nine points in a district Donald Trump carried by roughly 22 points in 2024. The sharper‑than‑expected swing toward Democrats has stirred concern among Republicans about the 2026 midterms, even as Democrats cast the result as evidence of growing strength in traditionally red territory.
The December 2 special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District was called to fill the seat vacated by Republican Rep. Mark Green, who left Congress earlier this year to take a private‑sector job. Green’s departure triggered the contest to serve out the remainder of the 119th Congress. (en.wikipedia.org)
According to the official results compiled by state election authorities and summarized by multiple outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian, Republican Matt Van Epps defeated Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn by single digits, taking roughly 54% of the vote to about 45% for Behn. That margin — just under 9 percentage points — represents a steep drop from Donald Trump’s 22‑point win in the district during the 2024 presidential election. (en.wikipedia.org)
Van Epps, a former Army helicopter pilot, West Point graduate and ex‑commissioner in Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s administration, was running for Congress for the first time. Behn, a Democratic state representative from Nashville, positioned herself as a progressive focused on affordability and economic strains facing working‑ and middle‑class voters. (en.wikipedia.org)
Turnout in the special election was unusually robust for an off‑cycle House race, drawing intense national attention and millions of dollars in outside spending. NPR and other outlets reported that national party committees and super PACs poured several million dollars into the contest, with Republican‑aligned groups ultimately outspending Democratic outside organizations. The Wall Street Journal reported that GOP‑aligned groups alone spent about $7 million on advertising, even as Behn narrowly outraised Van Epps in direct campaign contributions. (wfae.org)
Former President Donald Trump, who carried the district comfortably in 2024, intervened directly in the race with a late tele‑rally and public endorsements of Van Epps, according to Politico and local television coverage. House Speaker Mike Johnson also traveled to the district in the final stretch to campaign with the Republican nominee, underscoring how seriously GOP leaders took the possibility of an upset. (politico.com)
Despite holding the seat, many Republicans reacted with unease to the result. Politico reported that GOP lawmakers and strategists privately described the single‑digit margin as “dangerous” for the party and a warning sign ahead of the 2026 midterms, given Trump’s much larger 2024 victory in the same district. Public comments echoed those concerns, with several Republicans arguing that the party must sharpen its message to appeal to swing voters and moderates if it hopes to protect its narrow House majority. (politico.com)
Democrats, meanwhile, seized on Behn’s performance as part of a broader pattern of overperforming expectations in recent off‑year and special elections. Politico noted that Democrats have posted stronger‑than‑2024 margins in numerous contests this year, including high‑profile gubernatorial races in states such as Virginia and New Jersey, and Democratic strategists argued that the Tennessee result shows even reliably Republican seats could be competitive under the right conditions. (politico.com)
Both Van Epps and Behn emphasized economic issues in their campaigns, frequently talking about affordability, jobs and the cost of living. Coverage from Politico and local media described Behn’s message as focused on prices, wages and social services, while Van Epps coupled economic themes with criticism of Democratic handling of inflation and support for Trump‑era policies. (politico.com)
In his victory remarks, Van Epps explicitly aligned himself with Trump, telling supporters that the outcome showed voters in Middle Tennessee “stand with President Donald J. Trump,” according to local television coverage. Trump celebrated the win on his social media platform, describing it as another success for Republicans despite the narrower margin. (wsmv.com)
Behn, for her part, framed the result as a foundation for future Democratic gains. In her concession, she highlighted the district’s history as a Republican stronghold and said narrowing the GOP advantage to single digits demonstrated that voters are open to change. Reporting from Politico and People magazine described Behn’s concession event in Nashville, where she thanked supporters and underscored her campaign’s focus on affordability and progressive organizing in the South. (politico.com)
The outcome leaves Republicans maintaining a slim edge in the U.S. House and offers an early snapshot of the political climate heading into 2026. Analysts note that while midterm elections typically favor the party out of the White House, the Tennessee result underscores that Republicans may face headwinds even in friendly territory if Democrats can replicate Behn’s gains elsewhere. (wsmv.com)
