The special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District was the GOP’s to lose. Yet, it was still a close call – a possible signal that even reliable Republican voters are growing tired of President Donald Trump and the party.
Republican candidate and veteran Matt Van Epps defeated Democratic state lawmaker Aftyn Behn on Dec. 2 in the race to replace Republican Rep. Mark Green, who took a private sector job earlier this year.
Van Epps’ win in and of itself isn’t surprising – the gerrymandered district was supposed to be safely red – until you consider how close the race was. Behn, a progressive Democrat who has been compared to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, was within 10 percentage points of Van Epps when the election was called, making the race much closer than Van Epps and the Republican Party would have liked.
If Republicans can no longer count on coasting to victory in ruby red districts, they should absolutely be worried about what this means for the 2026 midterm elections.
Midterm elections ahead: Democrats finally have the right message. Can they stick with it to win in 2026? | Opinion
