Tennessee’s special election will be a test of whether Democrats’ recent election momentum is strong enough to carry them in a district that overwhelmingly went to President Donald Trump in 2024.
The race between Democrat Aftyn Behn and Republican Matt Van Epps for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District will show if Democratic messaging on affordability is still viable after the party’s successful sweep in the November elections. It will also test if Trump’s endorsement carries weight on a non-presidential ballot.
Democrats’ wins in Virginia, New Jersey, New York City, and California last month were in areas that lean more blue, and Democrats were largely expected to win. Tuesday’s election was thought to be the same, but for Republicans.
However, recent polling shows a narrow margin in a seat that its latest representative, Mark Green, won with 59.5% of the vote. Trump carried the district by 22 points in the 2024 election.
