Trump-backed Republican Matt Van Epps wins US House special election in Tennessee

[Polybius]

Last edited Tue Dec 2, 2025, 10:27 PM - Edit history (2)

Source: Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Republican Matt Van Epps won a nationally watched special election in Tennessee for a seat in the U.S. House on Tuesday, maintaining his party's grip on the district with help from President Donald Trump.

A military veteran and former state general services commissioner from Nashville, Van Epps defeated Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn to represent the 7th Congressional District.

Behn made it a relatively close race in an overwhelmingly Republican district that Trump carried by 22 percentage points in 2024. Behn ran up a huge margin in Davidson County, which is the most Democratic county in the district and home to Nashville. But Van Epps carried the rest of the district, including many deep-red counties throughout central Tennessee.

With about 95% of votes counted, Van Epps' lead was in the high single digits. The previous Republican who held the seat won by 21 points last

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-special-election-congress-van-epps-behn-246e101692e3dd002d43a4cdb467164b

[elleng]

1. Who wrote head-line???

[Polybius]

4. I updated the link to AP n/t

[RandySF]

2. It was always going be a steep hill.

But Behn herself no favor featuring AOC at her rally.

[angrychair]

5. I strongly disagree

Over performed in an R+22 district, coming within single digits of winning in a special election. She did that while being an unapologetic Progressive Democrat.
I honestly don't understand why so many are overtly hostile towards AOC and other progressive Democrats in general. AOC has been out there on national tours, building the Democratic base and filling every venue, everywhere they go.

AOC has nothing to do with the lose. It has everything to do with a deep red district that Republicans paid millions of dollars to win a R+22 district that shouldn't have even required a real campaign.

[AZ8theist]

9. I LOVE AOC

If more people on this site and in the party actually LISTENED to what she says and proposes, they would see they have more in common with her than they realize.

But as a progressive woman, she's been vilified by the Reich wing to the point of being "Hillaried".
Yes, "Hillaried" by the Reich.
Hillary Clinton was the most qualified candidate for president in decades. Yet so many low information voters only saw the character the Reich Wing created for her, NOT her qualifications or policies.

They are doing the same thing against AOC, and the Repukes can go fuck themselves for doing it and believing it.
And her showing up to campaign in a ruby red district, helping a +22R district end up only winning in single digits was a HELP, NOT A HINDRANCE.

[Emile]

11. Exactly! If we want to win in red districts, we need candidates left of center.

[QueerDuck]

10. I agree. High profile NE & NY liberals and activists are not universally beloved in deep red states...

and rather than having the desired effect to motivate an already motivated base, it could instead trigger and motivate MAGA voters by reminding them what it is that they hate so much about Democrats. It could have resulted in getting out the vote in ways that we Democrats do not want. Sometimes it's better to not poke at the wasp nest and instead just let them stay dormant or preoccupied with other things, while we are free to do our own thing without antagonizing them.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

3. Republican holds House seat in election on Trump turf, as Democrats gain ground

Republicans held on to a ruby red congressional district Tuesday, winning a special election in Tennessee that became more competitive than initially expected.

The victory by Matt Van Epps, a 42-year-old former lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee Army National Guard who aligned himself with President Donald Trump, capped a contest that tested voters’ attitudes about Trump’s agenda and Democrats’ response less than a year before the midterms. Van Epps defeated Aftyn Behn, a 36-year-old left-leaning state representative who frequently mentioned economic concerns on the campaign trail.

Van Epps’s win in the 7th District, projected by the Associated Press Tuesday night, preserves Republicans’ 219-213 advantage in the House. But his final margin was on pace to be much smaller than the 22-point edge Trump had in the district last year and the 21-point win Republican Rep. Mark Green — who resigned from Congress in July — secured the same day. With 86 percent of the vote tallied, Van Epps led by about six percentage points.

Van Epps, much like the Republicans who helped him at the close of his campaign, nationalized the race in celebrating his win, arguing the victory “represented a defining moment for Tennessee and for the direction of the country” and shows that “running with Trump is how you win” as a Republican. Van Epps did not acknowledge the apparent margin in his statement.

https://wapo.st/3Mz0PRb

[TheFarseer]

6. Hope there are some exit polls

Will be interesting to see what people voted on.

[Blumancru]

7. That district is as red as a baboon's ass. I think the final margin was under 10%

in a district Mr. Tangerine Man won by over 20%. The previous rep did about that too. While Trump was not on the ballot, Trumpanzeeism certainly was.
It looks like half of his support evaporated.
The Trumpanzees didn’t care when our own troops were used against us. They didn’t care when the Department of Education was dynamited. They didn’t care when young girls were horribly used by wealthy men, including the Chomo In Chief.

They cared only when beer, Copenhagen, and groceries cost more.
I look forward to the mid terms gelding his presidency.

[off-the-clock]

8. They don't care about anything (TN resident here)

All about being self-sufficient. Couple of beef cows in the yard little veggie plot who needs anything else.

I remember years back there was a vet here who specialize in food animals and she couldn't make a living. For one thing she's a woman and that's a problem here too.

[mdbl]

12. I remember the days when I considered living in TN

Not that they give a crap but wouldn't touch it now.

[Polybius]

13. The Al Gore days

He was popular there at one time.