NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican Matt Van Epps won Tennessee’s nationally watched special election for a U.S. House seat on Tuesday, maintaining his party’s control of the conservative district with the help of President Donald Trump. But the relatively slim margin of victory fueled Democrats’ hopes for next year’s midterms as the party figures out a path back to power in Washington.
A military veteran and former state General Services Commissioner from Nashville, Van Epps defeated Democratic state representative Aftyn Behn to represent the 7th Congressional District.
With 99 percent of the vote counted, Van Epps’ lead was about 9 percentage points. The former Republican who held the seat won by 21 points last year, and Trump carried the district by 22 points.
Behn, who ran as an unapologetic progressive, won by a huge margin in Davidson County, which is the most Democratic county in the district and is home to Nashville. But Van Epps carried the rest of the district, including many deep-red counties in central Tennessee, as he aligned himself closely with Trump.
“Politicians who run away from the president or abandon the common sense policies that the American people gave us a resounding mandate to do so are doing so at their own peril,” Van Epps said at his victory party. “No matter what DC insiders or the liberal media say, this is President Trump’s party. I’m proud to be a part of it and can’t wait to get down to business.”
Trump congratulated Van Epps in a social media post, saying he won even though the “radical left Democrats threw everything at him.”
At her own campaign rally, Behn took the stage with a burst of energy, belting out Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” in a Western-style rhinestone suit. Despite falling short, Behn said the result was “the start of something” powerful.
She noted that Republicans redrawn the district three years ago to make it harder for Democrats to win, and “nobody in Washington thought we could get this close.”
“Tonight is not the end. It is the beginning of the next chapter of politics in Tennessee and America – one of possibility, power and progress for the people we love,” Behn said.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said Republicans should be “shaking in their boots” ahead of the midterms, which will determine control of Congress.
“What happened tonight in Tennessee makes it clear: Democrats are on offense and Republicans are on the ropes,” Martin said in a statement.
The special election attracted big money
Van Epps received nearly $1.7 million in spending from MAGA Inc., according to a memo from the Trump-aligned group, with nearly half going to digital advertising targeting online video streaming users. It was the first time the organization has spent money on a campaign since last year’s presidential race, a reflection of the extraordinary importance of the special election.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican National Chairman Joe Gruters rallied supporters Monday in Tennessee. Trump addressed a crowd by phone at a rally in the state and later in the day held a tele-rally for Van Epps, his second of the general election.
Party leaders had hoped for a landslide victory to shake off Democratic claims that even red districts are now up for grabs as Trump struggles with low approval ratings and lingering economic discontent. In addition, Democrats have recently won by large margins in New Jersey, Virginia and elsewhere.
Behn had her national endorsement, and the House Majority PAC put a million dollars behind her. Party Chairman Ken Martin visited to campaign for Behn, and former Vice President Kamala Harris attended a canvasser while in Nashville on a book tour. Former Vice President Al Gore and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez led a virtual rally for her Monday night.
Van Epps stayed with Trump
Republican state lawmakers redrawn the 7th District and two others in 2022 to prevent liberal-leaning Nashville from electing another Democrat to Congress. Only about 1 in 5 voters in the district, which spans 14 counties, is in the city.
The seat was vacated when former Republican Rep. Mark Green retired this summer. The one-race election came at an odd time to vote, with early voting ending the day before Thanksgiving and Election Day the following Tuesday.
Van Epps aligned himself as closely as possible with the president, telling him during the telethon in November, “I will support you 100 percent.” He won a crowded primary by a wide margin in October with a late endorsement from Trump.
Behn has focused her campaign on fierce criticism of economic policies she said prioritize wealthy people and corporations, including tariffs and Trump’s budget and spending law, both of which Van Epps supports.
But Republicans have created a steady rhythm of Behn’s words being used against her in television ads, such as when she described herself as a “radical” and made harsh remarks about Nashville and its tourist attractions.
Trump supporter Anthony Bordonaro, 37, said Tuesday he wants the president’s policies to go forward, but pointed to those anti-Nashville comments as additional motivation to vote for Van Epps.
“I really didn’t like what I was hearing about the other candidate not liking Nashville,” he said.
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Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed.