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Political heavyweights descended on Tennessee Monday as both parties made final pushes ahead of a closely watched special congressional election that has drawn national attention despite the district’s traditionally conservative leaning.
In Franklin, Tennessee, Republican candidate Matt Van Epps welcomed a virtual appearance from former President Donald Trump, who urged voters to deliver “a sweeping victory” in Tuesday’s contest for the 7th Congressional District. “The whole world is watching Tennessee right now, and they’re watching your district,” Trump told supporters gathered in a supporter’s garage. “It’s a big vote and it’s gonna show something. And it’s gonna show that the Republican Party is stronger than it’s ever been.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who held his phone to a microphone to broadcast Trump’s remarks, joined a parade of Republican dignitaries including Republican Party Chairman Joe Gruters, Governor Bill Lee, and Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty at the rally supporting Van Epps, a former Army helicopter pilot and state general services commissioner.
The high-profile Republican campaign stop underscores growing concerns about turnout in a race that party officials once considered a safe hold. With early voting overlapping with Thanksgiving week and Election Day following the holiday weekend, Republicans have expressed worry about voter engagement in a district Trump won by 22 points.
Meanwhile, Democratic candidate Aftyn Behn, a state representative who describes herself as a “pissed-off social worker” and progressive community organizer from Nashville, concluded her campaign with an online rally featuring former Vice President Al Gore, a Tennessee native, and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Republicans have seized on Behn’s association with Ocasio-Cortez, with some local Democrats previously describing Behn as “our very own AOC of TN.” The GOP has used this connection in attack ads portraying Behn as too progressive for the conservative-leaning district.
Behn has countered that the diverse lineup of her supporters demonstrates her broad appeal. Former Vice President Kamala Harris previously appeared in Nashville to rally voters while on a book tour, and national Democratic Party chair Ken Martin has also visited to support her campaign.
The contest takes place in a district significantly redrawn during the 2022 redistricting process, which diluted the influence of Nashville, Tennessee’s largest city and a Democratic stronghold. Now, only about one-fifth of the 14-county district’s registered voters reside in Nashville. In 2022, former Republican Representative Mark Green won the district by 21 percentage points, mirroring Trump’s margin.
On policy matters, Behn has criticized Trump’s tariffs and tax cut legislation, both of which Van Epps supports. Republicans have used Behn’s past statements in attack ads, highlighting moments when she described herself as a “radical” or claimed to be “bullying” immigration agents and state police officers. They’ve also targeted comments Behn made years ago expressing frustration with Nashville, including saying “I hate this city.”
Behn has largely pivoted from these remarks to focus on economic issues affecting district residents. When pressed specifically about her Nashville comments, she has said she wants the city “to be a place where working people can thrive” even if certain tourist attractions occasionally frustrate her.
“The barrage of negative attacks is a result of the fact that they don’t have a plan to address the rising cost of health care,” Behn said at a Monday campaign event.
The race has attracted significant outside spending, with the House Majority PAC investing $1 million behind Behn, while Van Epps has received more than $1 million from the Trump-supporting MAGA Inc. super PAC.
Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries characterized the competitiveness of the race as “shocking in deep-red Tennessee” and suggested Republicans have “already lost” by needing to spend heavily to defend what should be safe territory.
“The fact that they are spending millions of dollars to hold a seat that Donald Trump just won by 22 points is extraordinary,” Jeffries said Monday.
The outcome will be closely scrutinized for signals about voter enthusiasm heading into the 2024 elections. Republicans hope to rebound from recent losses around the country, while Democrats seek momentum that could boost their prospects in next year’s pivotal midterms that will determine control of Congress.
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8 Comments
The fact that Trump is rallying support for the GOP candidate by speakerphone highlights the ongoing influence he wields within the party. It will be fascinating to see how this plays out for Van Epps on election day.
This election in Tennessee’s 7th District is certainly drawing national attention. It will be interesting to see how the GOP candidate’s ties to Trump play out with voters in this traditionally conservative district.
I’m curious to see the turnout numbers and how much of a factor Trump’s influence is on the final result.
It’s interesting to see the high-profile Republican support for the Van Epps campaign. This race could provide insight into the current strength of the party and Trump’s continued political clout.
This election will be an important test case for the GOP’s strategy of aligning closely with Trump. The results could have broader implications.
The Republican Party seems to be pulling out all the stops to try and secure this House seat. Trump’s involvement by speakerphone is a bold move, but it remains to be seen if it will sway enough voters.
I wonder how much of an impact Trump’s continued influence over the GOP will have on this race and other upcoming elections.
With national attention on this race, the outcome could send a strong signal about the current political landscape. I’ll be following the results closely to see how the Republican and Democratic campaigns fare.