With support from President Donald Trump, Republican Matt Van Epps won a special U.S. House election in Tennessee on Tuesday, defeating Democratic state Rep. Aftin Behn.
Van Epps will fill the seat vacated by former Rep. Mark Green, who resigned in July.
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If Democrats waver, the Republican House majority will narrow further to 219-213.
Here’s what you need to know:
What were the final results of the Tennessee special election?
Van Epps won the election in Middle Tennessee. The Associated Press canceled the campaign after Republican leaders made a belated push to drive out voters.
According to the Associated Press, with about 96% of votes counted, Van Epps received 53.9% of the vote and Behn 45%.
“This race was bigger than just one campaign,” Van Epps said in a statement. “It represented a defining moment for Tennessee and for the direction of the country.”
He also said cost of living concerns will be among the top priorities. This reflects the broader focus on these issues in this year’s elections, including the New York mayoral race and the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey.
Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District is typically a safe seat for Republicans. Trump won by 15 points in 2020, increasing that margin to 22 points in 2024. But special elections can bring surprises, with recent polls showing Mr. Behn leading Mr. Van Epps by several points.
President Trump celebrated the results Tuesday night via a post on Truth Social, congratulating Van Epps and calling it “another great night for the Republican Party.”
Why was this special election held?
Tennessee called the special election after Greene, who first won the seat in 2018, resigned in July following her decision to retire.
He has overwhelming power in the constituency and won re-election in the 2024 election with a 21-point margin.
The seat he vacates is in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. The district is a vast area of Middle Tennessee that stretches from the Kentucky border to Alabama and includes part of downtown Nashville. The district has become more heavily Republican since the Republican-controlled state Legislature redrawn its congressional boundaries in 2022.
Before this redistricting, nearly all of Nashville was grouped into one solidly Democratic district.
Lawmakers then divided the city into three separate districts, including the 7th District, and combined areas of Nashville with Republican-leaning suburban and rural counties.
The new map spread out Nashville’s heavily Democratic urban voters (disproportionately young people, Black people, other communities of color, and more progressive voters) into multiple districts, weakening the Democratic voting power in Nashville.
They then combined each urban area with large suburban and rural areas that were made up of older, whiter, more conservative voters and reliably voted Republican.
This redrawing has dispersed Nashville’s Democratic bloc into Republican-leaning districts, making seats like the 7th Congressional District much more likely to elect Republican candidates.
But this time, it took intervention from Republican groups across the country to save the seat.
What factors contributed to Van Epps’ victory?
Van Epps’ 8.9-point win marks a marked change from previous Republican performance in the district.
Analysts said a major factor shaping the outcome was heavy investment from national Republican groups, which saw the race as closer than expected.
“It’s definitely a cause for concern for Republicans,” Al Jazeera’s Patti Culhane said in an interview from Washington, D.C. “There are even polls that show Mr. Behn could actually win.”
Trump’s personal political action committee (PAC) spent more than $1 million in the election, House Speaker Mike Johnson also flew in to meet with candidates, and the president spoke by phone at a campaign rally, she added.
This is the first time since last year’s election that a super PAC supporting President Trump has spent money on a campaign.
In his victory speech, Van Epps was firmly aligned with Trump, telling supporters, “Running with Trump is the path to victory.”
“I thank the President for his unwavering support in planning this movement and leading us to victory,” he said. “President Trump has cooperated fully with us, and that’s made the difference. I will fully cooperate with him in Congress.”
Thank you, Tennessee 🇺🇸 #TN07 #MattforTN pic.twitter.com/RJJiwOWi0H
— Congressman Matt Van Epps (@MattForTN) December 3, 2025
He added that tackling the rising cost of living will be one of the main goals, reflecting a theme that has emerged in many campaigns this year.
Democrats have recently won by large margins in other key races, including New Jersey, Virginia and New York’s mayoral race, and are hoping a strong showing in Tennessee will give them further momentum heading into next November’s midterm elections.
“Momentum is on our side,” Behn told local media Tuesday night. “We are outperforming where we need to be and losing less elsewhere.”
Who is Matt Van Epps and what did he run for?
Van Epps is a graduate of West Point University, a decorated helicopter pilot, and a lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee Army National Guard, according to his campaign website.
His public service includes roles in Tennessee state government, where he served as Secretary of the Department of General Services and Deputy Chief Operating Officer in the Governor’s Office.
Van Epps describes himself as a strong fiscal conservative who supports the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, supports tax cuts and supports changes to Medicaid. The bill, passed in July, is part of President Trump’s plan to extend tax cuts, cut welfare programs and surge funding for immigrants.
He also supports “secure borders.”
“Matt will work with President Trump to secure the border by completing the wall, empowering the Border Patrol, and ending the woke left’s open border policies. Together, they will restore law and order, protect American families, and prioritize the safety of our country,” his page reads.
On the topic of foreign policy and Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, he expressed support for Israel and said he would “ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself.”
Welcome to the @HouseGOP, Congressman-elect Matt Van Epps! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/HUw5T3qlxU
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) December 3, 2025
Despite his victory, analysts say the result remains a “huge warning sign for Republicans.”
“This will give Democrats a little bit of energy…This will be interpreted as a referendum on Donald Trump,” Al Jazeera’s Culhane said.
“Trump’s approval ratings are incredibly low. 36 percent of Americans approve of the job he’s doing,” she said.
