President Donald Trump and Republican leaders are aiming to reclaim momentum after a series of recent losses as Tennessee voters head to the polls Tuesday to select a new representative for the 7th U.S. House Congressional District.
According to The Associated Press, the special election was called after Republican Rep. Mark Green resigned this summer, and it has drawn an unexpected flood of campaign spending.
Residents have been inundated with television ads and flyers in recent weeks.
Republican candidate Matt Van Epps has received more than $1 million from MAGA Inc., marking the first time the pro-Trump super PAC has spent on a campaign since last year’s presidential race.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP chair Joe Gruters rallied supporters in Tennessee on Monday, while Trump addressed the crowd by phone and later hosted a second tele-rally for Van Epps.
Democrats, fresh off victories in New Jersey, Virginia, and other states, see Tennessee as a chance to showcase momentum ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
State Rep. Aftyn Behn, the Democratic candidate, has received $1 million from the House Majority PAC.
National party chair Ken Martin visited to campaign for her, and former Vice President Kamala Harris helped kick off canvassing in Nashville while on a book tour.
Former Vice President Al Gore and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez headlined a virtual rally on the eve of the election.
The 7th District was redrawn in 2022 to limit Nashville’s influence, with only about one in five registered voters from the city, a Democratic stronghold.
Green won the district by 21 points last year, mirroring Trump’s margin. Republicans remain confident they can defend the seat despite Trump’s low approval ratings and broader economic dissatisfaction.
Timing could pose a challenge, as early voting overlapped with Thanksgiving week and Election Day falls the following Tuesday. Trump previously held a virtual rally in November with Van Epps, a former Army helicopter pilot and Nashville general services commissioner.
Campaign ads have highlighted Behn’s past comments, including calling herself a “radical” and claiming she “bullied” immigration agents and state police. She also once said, “I hate this city” in reference to Nashville, though she now emphasizes her goal of making it “a place where working people can thrive.”
Behn has criticized Trump’s tariffs and tax cuts, while Van Epps supports them. He initially opposed a House vote to release more Justice Department files on Jeffrey Epstein but changed his position after Trump endorsed the measure.
Democrats have also tried to split Van Epps’ support, encouraging conservatives to back independent candidate Jon Thorp through mailers funded by Your Community PAC, which has spent more than $16 million supporting Democratic campaigns nationwide since last year.
