Republican Matt Van Epps won the empty House seat for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District late Tuesday night over Democratic candidate Aftyn Behn by 15,944 votes.
The Ohio native will take the place of former congressman, Republican Mark Green, who resigned from his position in early July to start his business development firm, Prosimos, according to Tennessee Bar Association.
Tennessee voted over 64% Republican in the 2024 Presidential Election, according to NBC News. Republican President Donald Trump won by 22% in that election, while Republican Van Epps won by 8.3% tonight.
Across the country, elections saw a Democratic surge in this year’s voting, according to PBS News. The increase in democratic votes comes amid the declining net presidential approval rating from -1 in January 2025 to -24, as of December 2025.
Raeanna Morales, the media director of Vanderbilt College Republicans, said that since Vanderbilt falls within the 7th district, their on-campus group aimed to help out the Republican party in the race.
“Our Republican club has been in contact with the Van Epps campaign. We’ve been out door knocking, volunteering, making phone calls,” Morales said. “We’re just spreading the word to voters and families out in Nashville and doing anything we can to help the campaign right now.”
Morales also mentioned the support of Behn’s campaign by Democratic students at Vanderbilt prior to the election.
“We’re both channeling our passions through helping both of these campaigns,” Morales said. “I think [it’s] good that we can both have our own routes and do so civilly.”
Morales said Behn is a “left extermist” and “radical” candidate, drawing more conservatives to the election to “protect Nashville and the place that they call home.”
Van Epps addressed a crowd of his supporters after the results deemed him the winner. He thanked Trump, saying his “endorsement made the difference, and [he] will never forget it.”
“We have sent a message loud and clear. The people of Middle Tennessee stand with Donald J. Trump,” Van Epps said.
Trump posted on Truth Social after Van Epps’ victory that it was “another great night for the Republican Party.”
Both the Republican and Democratic parties and prominent figures within them, including President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, donated massive sums to their respective campaigns. Behn ultimately raised $1,230,629.16, and Van Epps raised $992,715.58, as of November 12.
Behn took the stage after the loss and confidently affirmed her supporters to maintain faith, concluding the speech with chants of “we’re not done.”
“This isn’t the end of our story. It’s not even close,” Behn said. “Because what we built here in this district is a grassroots movement, is part of something bigger that is happening across the south.”