Democrats fall short in Tennessee

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Democrats fall short in Tennessee despite anti-Trump headwinds

Matt Van Epps won the special election for Tennessee's 7th congressional district on Tuesday evening. He notched a single-digit victory in a district where Republicans won by more than 20 points just one year ago.

His victory over Aftyn Behn means that Republicans will notch their majority in the House up by one seat — a seat they'd previously held until the surprise resignation of Rep. Mark Green in July, less than halfway through his term.

Green opted for employment in the private sector over further service in Congress, where he was on his second term.

The comparatively narrow margin in a district Donald Trump had won by 22 points in 2024 is a clear sign that the Democrats are in a relatively stronger position than the party was last year, when it suffered a down-ballot rattling thanks in part to a chaotic presidential ticket.

But it's also a sign that Republicans can still hang on to power in the face of strong headwinds. While holding on to the House majority may prove to be a lost cause, the GOP still remains favored to hold on to the Senate majority it won in 2024.

As one member of the House GOP caucus put it to Politico on Tuesday evening: "Republicans can survive if we play team and the Trump administration officials play smart. Neither is certain."

Read more here:

By John Bowden

Reading list

Daily briefing

Tennessee nail-biter sees GOP retake House seat

Eric Garcia reports on the special congressional election in Tennessee and how Aftyn Behn overperformed for Democrats in a district that voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump in 2024.

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