Republicans secured a pivotal victory Tuesday night in Tennessee’s Seventh Congressional District, holding onto a must-win seat that drew national attention as the GOP fights to preserve its narrow House majority.
The race was called less than an hour after polls closed.
The Associated Press projected Republican nominee Matt Van Epps as the winner over Democrat Aftyn Behn, ending Democrats’ hopes of flipping a deep-red district President Donald Trump carried by double digits.
“This race was bigger than just one campaign,” Van Epps said after declaring victory.
“It represented a defining moment for Tennessee and for the direction of the country.”
Far-Left Candidate in a Conservative District
Behn, dubbed “AOC of Tennessee” due to her radical agenda, entered the contest as a progressive activist backed by top Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris.
However, Behn’s far-left record proved toxic in Tennessee’s conservative-leaning Seventh District.
Throughout the campaign, she struggled to distance herself from past statements supporting “defund the police,” restrictive gun-control policies, and universal access to “gender-affirming care” for minors.
During multiple interviews, Behn refused to answer questions about her previous support for defunding law enforcement.
A resurfaced podcast clip in which she declared she “hates” Nashville, the largest city in the district, only fueled criticism.
Democrats hoped that strong showings earlier this year in New Jersey and Virginia, combined with national trends of Republican underperformance in special elections, might give Behn an opening.
But Tennessee’s Seventh District, which Trump won by 22 points last year, proved far less forgiving.
Republican Turnout Holds, Democrat Turnout Falters
Much of the district is rural and reliably conservative, though it includes parts of Democratic-leaning West Nashville.
Democratic National Committee organizers targeted urban pockets aggressively, but early projections showed turnout in Davidson County lagging well below the threshold Behn needed.
Meanwhile, strong Republican turnout across rural communities propelled Van Epps to a decisive win.
Just before polls closed, prediction markets such as Polymarket had already surged Van Epps’ odds to 92 percent.
A High-Stakes Fight for House Control
The race filled the vacancy left by former GOP Rep. Mark Green, who resigned in June.
With Republicans currently holding 220 seats and multiple vacancies either recently opened or imminent, including the upcoming retirement of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), national GOP groups poured resources into the district to avoid an embarrassing loss.
Major outside spending flooded the race:
• Over $1.3 million from billionaire Jeff Yass
• More than $600,000 from the Ken Griffin–backed Conservatives for American Excellence
• $453,000 from the School Freedom Fund
• Seven-figure support from President Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC
President Trump personally rallied voters, urging supporters on Truth Social:
“PLEASE VOTE FOR MATT VAN EPPS, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement.”
The message resonated in a district where Trump remains overwhelmingly popular.
Democrats Fall Short Despite National Momentum
Democrats hoped to replicate their victories from last month’s 2025 elections and argued the Tennessee contest could signal broader vulnerability for Republicans heading into the 2026 midterms.
But Behn’s progressive platform, combined with her past rhetoric and refusal to walk back controversial statements, appears to have alienated moderate and rural voters.
Behn’s label as the “AOC of Tennessee” may have energized the national Democrat base, but it was poison in a district with an R+10 partisan lean.
Republicans Hold the Line for Now
Van Epps’ victory helps stabilize the GOP majority, at least temporarily.
Two upcoming special elections, in New Jersey’s 11th District and Texas’s 18th District, are expected to add two Democratic Party members soon, tightening the margins again.
Greene’s retirement next month will reopen another Republican vacancy, making Tuesday night’s win even more essential.
For now, Republicans avoided a self-inflicted wound and maintained control of a district that has not voted Democratic in decades.
Our comment section is restricted to members of the Slay News community only.
To join, create a free account HERE.
If you are already a member, log in HERE.