Matt Van Epps, whom President Donald Trump endorsed late last week, has won the GOP primary for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District race, Fox News reported. The former Tennessee Department of General Services commissioner was one of 11 Republicans vying for the chance to run for the seat left vacant after Republican Rep. Mark Green took a job in the private sector.
The large district in Tennessee is a Republican stronghold, which bodes well for Van Epps as the GOP candidate, especially given Trump's endorsement. He will go on to face off against his opponent, Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn, in a special election on Dec. 2.
The House of Representatives is currently balanced in favor of Republicans, although not by a significant margin. Including the Tennessee seat, there are two vacancies and a third where the Democratic representative-elect hasn't been sworn in yet, making it a 219-213 majority for Republicans.
🚨 BREAKING: Trump-endorsed Matt Van Epps WINS Republican US House primary for Tennessee's vacant 7th District. pic.twitter.com/0KRzHQXSNL
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 8, 2025
Trump released a statement endorsing Van Epps in the days leading up to the primary, which also included state Reps. Gino Bulso, Lee Reeves, and Jody Barrett. "Matt knows the WISDOM and COURAGE required to Defend our Country, Support our Incredible Military/Veterans, and Ensure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH," Trump wrote.
Van Epps called the president's support "an incredible honor" as he also got the nod of approval from Tennessee GOP Gov. Bill Lee. Beyond just the words of praise, Trump and the Club for Growth conservative group co-hosted a tele-rally with the candidate on Monday night, just ahead of Election Day.
It seems that Van Epps, who is a veteran and a Trump loyalist, found that his most significant advantage was that he was able to get the president on board. According to the Associated Press, Van Epps acknowledged this fact in his victory speech, stating that Trump's backing in the crowded race "made the difference, and I will never forget it."
Van Epps will return the favor by supporting Trump's agenda, including advocating for veterans and supporting the president's crackdown on illegal immigration. "In Congress, I’ll stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump to advance our America First agenda,” Van Epps promised.
After the election results were in and Van Epps secured the opportunity to represent 14 counties in Tennessee that include a military base, rural areas, and parts of Nashville, Trump congratulated Van Epps in another post on Truth Social. "Congratulations to Matt Van Epps on his great victory in Tennessee. He will be a GREAT Congressman!!!" the president wrote.
With such a deep-red district, Van Epps should be able to clinch the congressional seat in the special election. Still, the Democrats have mounted an opposition against Van Epps that included an alternative to Trump's policies and pitched Behn's win as a referendum on outside money influencing local elections.
After all, donors from outside Tennessee spent $3.1 million, mainly on the Republican side of the race, though both parties tend to funnel campaign funds where they're most needed, including local races. Behn said that her win for Democrats was a signal that "authenticity, energy, organizing power consistently outperformed corporate money and poll-tested messaging."
The Nashville-based community organizer and social worker also emphasized the female angle, as identity politics is the default for many Democratic candidates. "Tonight, Tennessee sent a message," Behn said to her supporters.
"And that message is: Women still fight. Organizers can still win. And Democrats in the Deep South aren’t done yet," Behn said. Nevertheless, she will need to overcome the fact that Green won the seat by more than 20 points in the last two elections, which has demonstrated significant advantages to any GOP candidate.
Democrats have virtually no shot at taking this seat from Republicans as it is, and that's especially true for now that the Trump-backed pick has become the GOP candidate. Van Epps will likely take his place in Congress, and Trump will notch another victory that proves once again that he has political clout like no other.
