Millions are flocking to Tennessee’s special election ahead of voting in December
Money is pouring into Tennessee’s deep-red House district ahead of a special election scheduled for early December, as candidates and their political action committee backers ramp up spending.
Republican Matt Van Eps, a former state official, and Democratic state Rep. Aftin Behn are locked in a heated advertising war that has attracted prominent outside groups from both parties to the 7th Congressional District, which President Donald Trump won by 22 points in 2024.
Behn’s campaign raised more than $1 million from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, according to a campaign finance filing Thursday. I spent just over half that amount over the same period. Meanwhile, Van Epps raised about $591,000 and spent most of it, leaving him with $231,000 in the bank in the long run. Behn had about $522,000 at the end of the fundraising period.
Behn hopes to rally independents and moderate Republicans, as well as her Democratic base in Nashville, to capitalize on the expected low turnout. She sees a path to victory by positioning herself as an impeachment candidate who can check President Donald Trump’s party in the House, particularly criticizing tax cuts and the GOP’s signature spending bill, as well as Trump’s tariffs. She is running an unabashedly Democratic campaign, leaning on Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
But this support from establishment figures fuels its opponent.
Van Epps, an Army veteran, is proud to have endorsed Trump, Gov. Bill Lee and former Rep. Mark Green, who resigned in April from the seat Van Epps is seeking to fill. He’s running on reliable MAGA themes as Republicans try to drum up enthusiasm for the unusually timed election — and ensure low turnout doesn’t turn into an embarrassing outcome. But he also sought to emphasize other issues on the airwaves, such as lowering prices.
Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. has already announced spending more than $1 million independently in the race, its first time in a federal contest this year. Other conservative groups, such as the Club for Growth and other super PACs that have been funded primarily by major GOP donors in the past, have also jumped in to support Van Epps.
Behn also has outside support, albeit slightly smaller than her Republican opponent.
Over $3.3 million was spent opposing Behn or supporting Van Epps, with just over $900,000 in independent expenditures aimed at boosting Behn. That includes about $100,000 also boosting independent John Thorpe, in the hope that Thorpe, an Army veteran, will draw more votes from the Republican candidate than from the Democratic candidate.
Republicans have an advantage on the airwaves, too. The Van Epps campaign and its allies have spent about $730,000 on ads since the primary, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact, while Democrats have spent about $500,000.
Super PACs supporting Van Epps are trying to brand Behn as an extremist, likening her to New York Mayor-elect Zahran Mamdani and using a clip from a video she recorded calling herself “”A very extreme personVan Epps’ own campaign ran ads highlighting his service in the military.
Behn responded with an advertisement comparing the workers’ conditions to a difficult ride on a mechanical bull. She criticized the end of Medicare subsidies, tariffs, and the Trump administration’s longstanding reluctance to release files related to the investigation into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.