Democrats in the United States are hoping to win the reliably conservative 7th congressional district in an unexpectedly tight special election that is taking place in Tennessee.
Voters in the southern state will cast ballots on Tuesday to name Republican Representative Mark Green’s replacement after he resigned in July to pursue a private sector career.
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Democrats see his vacated seat in the US House of Representatives as a potential indicator of growing unhappiness with Republican President Donald Trump in the run-up to the upcoming midterm elections.
Former state commissioner Matt Van Epps, a Trump supporter, squares off against former state representative Aftyn Behn.
“I ask all America First Patriots in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District to vote for Matt Van Epps, a fantastic candidate and MAGA warrior.” Trump stated in a Tuesday social media post.
“You can win this election for Matt, for whom I have my full and endorsement,” I say.
Other prominent individuals from across the country have voiced their support for Behn’s campaign, including former Vice President Al Gore and progressive Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Ocasio-Cortez praised Behn for her “guts,” saying, “the very fact that this race is in play is showing that we are in a time when anything can happen and that miracles can happen, even in Tennessee.
“We are now at a striking distance of this race, or “margin of effort.”
Local race receives national attention
Tennessee’s 7th congressional district’s fight for control comes less than a year before the US’s crucial midterm elections in November 2026.
All 435 House of Representatives seats are up for grabs during the midterm elections. Republicans currently control both the US Senate and that chamber.
Democrats and Republicans have been trying their hardest to win every seat possible given how small the margins are.
For instance, Texas, a right-wing powerhouse, recently passed a law that would redraw the state’s congressional districts in order to increase the number of seats available for Republican politicians in the midterm elections.
Other states have taken similar steps as a result of the redistricting push supported by Trump. For instance, voters in Democratic-leaning California approved a ballot initiative in November to redraw the state’s congressional map, effectively halting the Texas campaign.
This year’s partisan redistricting effort did not include Tennessee’s 7th congressional district. However, the Republican-held state legislature updated its congressional maps to give Republicans a greater advantage in 2022.
The Democratic-leaning city of Nashville was divided into three distinct congressional districts by the 2022 map, thereby reducing its Democratic voters’ power. One of the districts that now makes up Nashville’s 7th congressional district is this one.
It was previously viewed as a Republican-friendly district. However, Van Epps closely trails Behn in the majority of polls.
She received 46% of the vote in an Emerson College survey, compared to 48% for Van Epps. Another 5 percent of those surveyed remained uncertain.
The Republican majority in the US House of Representatives would be even narrower if Behn won.
Given how close the two candidates are to the polls, money from various national organizations has poured into the race.
In its first donation since the 2024 presidential election season, MAGA Inc., a super PAC named after Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, has contributed $1 million to the campaign. Additionally, the House Majority PAC, which leans left, has given $1 million to Behn’s supporters.
In November’s off-year elections, Republicans are attempting to bounce back from a string of humiliating defeats suffered by Democrats.
In New Jersey, for example, Democrat Mikie Sherrill defeated a candidate running for governor while another Democrat, Abigail Spanberger, won the governor’s race in Virginia.
Before the midterm elections in 2026, political analysts believe that Tennessee’s close race could cause Republicans to face an increasingly hostile political environment.
In 2024, Trump won Tennessee’s 7th congressional district by 22 points.
However, according to a recent Gallup poll, only 36 percent of voters say they approve of Trump’s work, which is down from his previous two terms. With 60% of people saying they disapprove, disapproval also reached a new high.
Republican candidates urged supporters to make their voices heard at the ballot box before Tuesday’s vote.
Anything can happen during special elections, according to the author. And when you’re in a deep-red district, some people assume the Republican or the conservative will win, “repeatedly,” said Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.
