The special election for Tennessee’s Seventh Congressional District on Dec. 2 has erupted into a high-stakes battle on the nationwide stage, with candidates in both parties drawing in millions of dollars and securing endorsements from political powerhouses.
Republican Matt Van Epps, Democrat Aftyn Behn, and four independent candidates are seeking the seat left vacant by Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), who resigned in June after accepting a private-sector job.
The four independent candidates are vessel captain Teresa “Terri” Christie, combat pilot Jon Thorp, small business owner Bobby Dodge, and pastor Robert James Sutherby.
The open seat, which Republicans have held for decades, covers 14 counties in middle Tennessee, including downtown Nashville and Williamson County, which is one of the wealthiest counties in the United States.
The district has a series of tourist hot spots outside of Music City, including Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, Civil War battlefields, and the Historic Springfield Town Square.
Millions are being poured into both campaigns even though early voting is already underway.
MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting President Donald Trump, reportedly spent $1 million to support Van Epps, according to The Associated Press, and the House Majority PAC, which supports Democratic candidates, announced that it planned to spend $1 million on digital and television ads in the race.
Who Is Republican Matt Van Epps?
Epps, 39, was born and raised in a suburb of Cleveland.
He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, served as a helicopter pilot in the Army, and was commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services for nine months before he resigned to run for the open seat.
Epps, who now lives in Nashville and continues to serve as a lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee Army National Guard, received endorsements from Green, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and Trump.
“Matt Van Epps has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Congressman from Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” the president wrote in a Truth Social post on Oct. 3.
Epps hopes to keep the seat for his party, which currently has a small majority in the House.
The 119th Congress has 219 Republicans, 213 Democrats, and three vacancies. The tally does not reflect the decision by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to resign on Jan. 5, 2026.
Who Is Democrat Aftyn Behn?
Behn, 36, is attempting to flip the seat blue and continue the Democrats’ winning streak after the party won gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as the New York City mayoral race on Nov. 4.
The Knoxville-born politician graduated from the University of Texas–Austin and has represented the 51st district in the Tennessee House of Representatives since 2023.
Behn received in-person campaign visits from Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin and former Vice President Kamala Harris, who spoke at one of Behn’s many canvassing events while she was in Nashville to promote her book “107 Days.”
Williamson County Democratic Party Chair Ragan Grossman declined The Epoch Times’ request to comment on campaign issues.
A resurfaced podcast clip that shows Behn criticizing Nashville’s multibillion-dollar tourism industry is making headlines.
Behn, on the “Grits” podcast in February 2020, said: “I’ve been heavily involved in the Nashville mayoral race because I hate this city.
“I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music. I hate all the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘IT CITY’ to the rest of the country.”
In response to recent criticisms of her past comments on the city, Behn’s campaign on Nov. 20 posted a video on Facebook captioned: “NO, I DO NOT HATE THE CITY I REPRESENT.
“The national GOP’s new attack? That I ‘hate Nashville.’ I’ve cried in the Country Music Hall of Fame no less than 10 times. They’re panicking because we’re close to winning. Eyes on the prize, y’all. Let’s go.”
She also said in the video: “Now, I always want Nashville to be better, and I want Nashville to be a place where working people can thrive, right? But sure, I get mad at the bachelorettes sometimes. I get mad at the pedal taverns.”
The Issues
Both candidates have highlighted similar issues, including affordability, health care, and energy prices, but their platforms take very different approaches.
Epps, who highlights his readiness to “support President Trump’s MAGA agenda” on his campaign website, has said he wants to strengthen the economy, unleash American energy, and support small businesses, while also passing “legislation to regulate and unleash innovation in Crypto and artificial intelligence,” according to the “Issues” section of his campaign website.
Behn, whose campaign website sends readers to a Substack page called “The Behn Factor,” is pushing to feed children, fix roads, and fund hospitals.
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