Well, would you look at that — Tennessee still knows how to shut the door when the circus comes to town. Republican Matt Van Epps just steamrolled over far-left darling Aftyn Behn in a special election the media was salivating over, hoping to finally turn a ruby-red district into their next progressive trophy case. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work.
With 95% of the vote in, Van Epps took the win 53.9% to 45%, and while the talking heads at MSNBC are probably mourning the loss like it’s 2016 all over again, the rest of us can exhale — common sense isn’t extinct in Tennessee just yet.
Now, let’s talk about who Van Epps beat. Aftyn Behn — the self-proclaimed “radical” who somehow thought trashing country music and Nashville in Tennessee was going to help her win votes. You really can’t make this stuff up. Behn is the kind of candidate who could only rise in today’s Democratic Party: pro-transgender surgeries for kids, openly sympathetic to the “trans community” after a transgender-identifying shooter allegedly murdered six children at the Covenant School, and publicly fantasizing about taking down “far-right narratives” with all the flair of a freshman gender studies major who just discovered Twitter.
And before you think that’s hyperbole — nope. She literally said, “These colors don’t bleed” while wearing a trans flag like a cape. Because nothing says “I’m ready to represent Tennessee values” like cosplaying as a revolutionary for children’s hormone blockers.
Behn’s campaign was backed by Democrat royalty — Al Gore (because apparently it’s still 2006) and AOC, who flew down from her Brooklyn bubble to bless Tennessee with her usual dose of eye-roll-worthy slogans and coastal elitism. And yes, Democrats threw money at this thing like it was a Vegas slot machine. Behn outraised Van Epps, pulling in over a million bucks between October and mid-November. Meanwhile, Van Epps ran a leaner, smarter campaign — and when it mattered most, MAGA Inc came through with over $1 million in support. And let’s not forget President Donald J. Trump, who put his full weight behind Van Epps with a rally call and a tele-rally on the eve of the election. Boom. Victory.
You’d think Democrats would learn by now. Tennessee isn’t Seattle. It’s not San Francisco. People here still believe in faith, family, and, yes, country music. They don’t want their tax dollars funding cross-sex surgeries for minors, and they don’t want activists sneaking abortion pills through the mail like it’s some twisted Amazon Prime delivery. Behn once bragged on a podcast that mailing illegal abortion meds into Tennessee wouldn’t stop “just because Roe is overturned.” That’s not “brave.” That’s allegedly criminal.
Oh, and let’s not overlook that this whole election happened because Rep. Mark Green stepped down after winning the district by 20 points last time. Democrats thought they had a golden opportunity. Special election, low turnout, energized left? Sure, on paper it looked like a shot. But they forgot one thing: you can’t out-organize a tidal wave of voters who don’t want their hometowns turned into Portland-lite.
House Speaker Mike Johnson flew in to rally for Van Epps, and you can bet he’s sleeping a little better tonight. This win shores up the GOP’s slim House majority — now sitting at 219-213 — and sends a very clear message to Democrats: you can carpetbag your way into red states, but you can’t talk down to them and expect applause.
BREAKING: Republican Matt Van Epps will represent Tennessee’s Seventh District after defeating Democratic State Representative Aftyn Behn. pic.twitter.com/FUcnBomQs2
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 3, 2025
So congrats to Matt Van Epps, the new congressman from Tennessee’s 7th District, who just showed the rest of the country that common sense still has a pulse — and that the people who actually live in the heartland still get the final word, not activists draped in flags demanding compliance.
And to the DNC? Keep pouring millions into trying to flip districts by running candidates who hate country music and think men can get pregnant. We’ll be here with popcorn.
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