Republican candidate Matt Van Epps’s victory in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District special election prompted celebrations from his Republican colleagues in his state, Congress, and the White House.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) offered a warm welcome to Van Epps on X. Last month, Blackburn offered a lukewarm prediction that Van Epps would win.
Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) noted on X that the race was “hard-fought” against Democratic candidate Aftyn Behn.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), who expressed concern about voter turnout on Election Day, congratulated Van Epps late Tuesday. According to Burchett, President Donald Trump deserved credit.
Trump endorsed Van Epps and also encouraged Tennesseans to vote on Tuesday. By late Tuesday, the president was celebrating “another great night for the Republican Party.”
Activist Riley Gaines blamed Behn’s comments about Nashville, Tennessee, for her loss.
An Emerson College-The Hill poll found that 48% of voters support Van Epps and 46% support Behn in the Tennessee special election. However, the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., said on X Wednesday that betting markets were more accurate than the polls.
POLLS OVERSOLD DEMOCRATS’ CHANCES IN TENNESSEE SPECIAL ELECTION BUT PARTY STILL SEES HOPE IN RESULTS
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich also bemoaned the inaccuracy of polls on X Wednesday.
Van Epps won the seat of former Rep. Mark Green, who left Congress in June. Green, a Republican, won his general election with nearly 60% of the vote, and Trump won the district by over 22 points. In the end, Van Epps had a roughly 9% lead with 99% of votes counted as of Wednesday afternoon, per the Associated Press.
