WASHINGTON ‒ Republicans avoided a major Democratic upset in a closely watched Tennessee special congressional election that turned into a surprisingly tight race in an overwhelmingly red district.
Still, while Republicans can breathe a sigh of relief for averting a disaster, Tennessee's 7th congressional special election provided another warning sign for Republicans of a possible blue wave in the 2026 midterm elections.
Here are key takeaways from Republican Matt Vann Epps' victory over Democrat Aftyn Behn:
Van Epps, a combat veteran and former state government official, defeated Behn, a liberal Democratic state representative by 9 percentage points, 54%-45%, in a Middle Tennessee district Trump carried by 22 points in the 2024 presidential election. He will replace retired Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee.
That amounts to a sizable 13-point swing in Democrats' direction, continuing a pattern of Democratic overperformance in special elections this year.
