Republican Matt Van Epps wins US House special election in Tennessee | House of Representatives

Republican Matt Van Epps defeated Democrat Aftyn Behn in a special congressional election in suburban west Nashville that was closely watched for signs of Republican weakness heading into next year’s congressional midterms.

The Associated Press called the race at 9:47 a.m. EST, with Van Epps holding a 52% to 46% lead.

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

Van Epps argued that his victory was a sign that conservative voters remained supportive of Donald Trump’s leadership. Trump campaigned virtually on Van Epps’ behalf in the final days of the race.

“Running Trump is how you lose. Running with Trump is how you win,” Van Epps said. “Our victory was fueled by a movement of Tennesseans ready for change. We are grateful to the President for his unwavering support that charted this movement and catapulted us to victory. President Trump was all in with us. That made the difference. In Congress, I will be all in with him.”

Tennessee’s Seventh Congressional District is normally reliably Republican territory. Donald Trump won the district by 15 points in 2020 and by 22 points in 2024. But special elections can be unpredictable, and polls have put Behn within a few points of Van Epps in recent days.

Richard Hudson, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, congratulated Van Epps in a statement, saying, “No one is better positioned to take on the role and deliver results for Tennessee families, workers and small business owners. »

A six-point margin of victory represents a significant shift in Republican support.

“Aftyn Behn’s outperformance in this Trump +22 district is historic and a wake-up call for Republicans as the midterm elections approach,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement.

“Aftyn focused his campaign on lowering the costs of groceries, housing and health care for Tennessee families. His Republican opponent ran his campaign focusing on Donald Trump, and he had to be saved by a massive Republican spending attack to barely hold this traditionally safe Republican seat.”

Cook’s political report describes this district as “leaning Republican,” a downgrade from a reliably Republican district despite Trump’s performance. “The Democrats’ inherent advantage in this year’s special election will make this race tighter than it needs to be,” they wrote.

Van Epps and Behn were vying to replace Republican Rep. Mark Green, who resigned in July — after the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — to launch a business intended to compete with Chinese business interests in Guyana. House Republicans have a 219-213 advantage in the House.

Van Epps, a former Army helicopter pilot and West Point graduate, beat nine other Republican candidates, drawing support from Trump, Green and Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. Van Epps headed the Tennessee Department of General Services under Lee.

Behn, who has represented an east Nashville district in the Tennessee House since 2023, won a hotly contested four-way Democratic primary. A former political organizer and progressive activist, Behn worked in social services and community advocacy.

After Democrats unexpectedly won elections earlier this month in Virginia, New Jersey and elsewhere, Democratic-aligned groups poured money into Behn’s campaign in an effort to pull off an upset.

A national Democratic strategist who works on House races told the Guardian last week that Republicans were spending unusually large sums in the district “in a desperate last-minute attempt to avoid a Democratic overperformance.”

Dave Wasserman, editor and elections analyst at the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, told the Guardian last week: “We still expect the Republican to win, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it was a single-digit race.” »

The district, which stretches from Kentucky to Alabama, is largely rural, but also includes part of blue-leaning Nashville as well as the city of Clarksville.

Chris Stein contributed reporting