Backed by United States President Donald Trump, Republican Matt Van Epps won Tuesday\u2019s special US House election in Tennessee, defeating Democratic state Representative Aftyn Behn.<\/p>\n
Van Epps will fill the seat vacated by former Representative Mark Green, who resigned in July.<\/p>\n list of 1 item<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n A Democratic upset would have further narrowed the Republicans\u2019 219-213 House majority.<\/p>\n Here is what to know:<\/p>\n Van Epps won the election in Middle Tennessee. The Associated Press news agency called the race after Republican leaders made a late push to get their voters out.<\/p>\n With about 96 percent of votes counted, Van Epps had 53.9 percent, while Behn had 45 percent, according to the AP.<\/p>\n \u201cThis race was bigger than just one campaign,\u201d Van Epps said in a statement. \u201cIt represented a defining moment for\u00a0Tennessee\u00a0and for the direction of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n He also said cost-of-living concerns would be among his top priorities \u2013 a reflection of the broader focus on those issues in races this year, including the New York City mayoral race and the governors\u2019 races in Virginia and New Jersey.<\/p>\n Tennessee\u2019s 7th Congressional District is usually a safe seat for Republicans. Trump won it by 15 points in 2020 and expanded that margin to 22 points in 2024. But special elections can have surprises, and recent polls showed Behn trailing Van Epps by a few points.<\/p>\n Trump celebrated the result on Tuesday night through a post on Truth Social, congratulating Van Epps and calling it \u201canother great night for the Republican Party\u201d.<\/p>\n Tennessee called the special election after Green, who first won the seat in 2018, resigned in July following his decision to retire.<\/p>\n He had been a dominant force in the district, winning re-election in 2024 by 21 points.<\/p>\n The seat he vacated sits in Tennessee\u2019s 7th Congressional District, a large Middle Tennessee area stretching from the Kentucky border down to Alabama and including part of downtown Nashville. The district became more solidly Republican after the state\u2019s Republican-controlled legislature redrew congressional boundaries in 2022.<\/p>\n Before that redistricting, nearly all of Nashville was grouped into one reliably Democratic district.<\/p>\n Lawmakers then split the city into three separate districts, including the seventh, and combined each slice of Nashville with heavily Republican suburban and rural counties.<\/p>\n The new map diluted Nashville\u2019s Democratic voting power by splitting the city\u2019s strongly Democratic, urban voters \u2013 disproportionately younger, Black, other communities of colour, and more progressive \u2013 across several districts.<\/p>\n Each part of the city was then combined with large suburban and rural areas that reliably vote Republican, made up of older, whiter, and more conservative voters.<\/p>\n This redrawing scattered Nashville\u2019s Democratic bloc across Republican-leaning districts, making seats like the 7th Congressional District far more likely to elect Republican candidates.<\/p>\n But this time, saving the seat required an intervention by national Republican groups.<\/p>\n Van Epps\u2019s 8.9-point win marks a notable shift from previous Republican results in the district.<\/p>\n Analysts say a key factor that helped shape the result was the heavy investment from national Republican groups, who viewed the race as closer than expected.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is definitely going to concern the Republicans, so much so that there was a poll which showed that Behn could actually win,\u201d Al Jazeera\u2019s Patty Culhane said, reporting from Washington, DC.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s personal Political Action Committee (PAC) spent more than $1m in the election, and US House Speaker Mike Johnson flew down to rally with the candidate, she said, adding that the president addressed a campaign rally via phone.<\/p>\n It is the first time the Trump-supporting super PAC has spent money on a campaign since last year\u2019s election.<\/p>\n In his victory speech, Van Epps aligned himself firmly with Trump, telling supporters that \u201crunning with Trump is how you win\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are grateful to the president for his unwavering support that charted this movement and catapulted us to victory,\u201d he said. \u201cPresident Trump was all-in with us. That made the difference. In Congress, I\u2019ll be all-in with him.\u201d<\/p>\n THANK YOU, TENNESSEE \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8#TN07<\/a> #MattforTN<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/RJJiwOWi0H<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Matt Van Epps for Congress (@MattForTN) December 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n He added that tackling rising living expenses would be one of his main goals \u2013 mirroring a theme that is emerging in many campaigns this year.<\/p>\n Democrats recently won by wide margins in New Jersey, Virginia, and other key races, including the New York mayoral contest, and they hoped that a strong showing in Tennessee could further embolden the party ahead of next November\u2019s midterm elections.<\/p>\n \u201cThe momentum has been on our side,\u201d Behn told local media on Tuesday evening. \u201cWe are overperforming in places where we need to be, and losing less in other places.\u201d<\/p>\n According to his campaign website, Van Epps is a West Point graduate, a decorated helicopter pilot, and a lieutenant colonel who served in the Tennessee Army National Guard.<\/p>\n His public service includes roles in Tennessee\u2019s state government, where he worked as commissioner of the Department of General Services and as a deputy chief operating officer in the governor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n Van Epps describes himself as a strong fiscal conservative who backs the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, supports tax reductions, and favours changes to Medicaid. The bill passed in July extends tax cuts, slices welfare programmes and surges immigration funds as part of Trump\u2019s agenda.<\/p>\n He also favours a \u201csecure border\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cMatt will work with President Trump to keep our borders secure by finishing the wall, empowering Border Patrol, and ending the woke left\u2019s open-border agenda. Together, they will restore law and order, protect American families, and put our nation\u2019s security first,\u201d his page states.<\/p>\n On topics of foreign policy and Israel\u2019s genocidal war on Gaza, he has expressed his support for Israel, saying he will \u201censure Israel has what it needs to defend itself\u201d.<\/p>\n Welcome to the @HouseGOP<\/a>, Congressman-elect Matt Van Epps! \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 pic.twitter.com\/HUw5T3qlxU<\/a><\/p>\nRecommended Stories <\/h2>\n
What were the final results of the Tennessee special election?<\/h2>\n
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Why was this special election held?<\/h2>\n
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What are some of the factors that contributed to Van Epps\u2019s victory?<\/h2>\n
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Who is Matt Van Epps, and what did he run on?<\/h2>\n
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