For weeks, a special election in Tennessee went unnoticed in a heavily Republican congressional district. But now, funding from President Donald Trump’s allies and the presence of former Vice President Kamala Harris have turned the Dec. 2 vote into a marquee political battle with potential consequences for next year’s midterm elections.
It’s the first race for federal office since the Nov. 4 election, when Democrats won victories billed as a referendum on Trump. Republicans now want to change the scenario, pouring money into the campaign and inviting Trump to visit the state after holding a virtual rally last week.
Failing to improve the score – or worse, losing the seat – would be a sign of weakness, emboldening Democrats as they try to regain control of the House of Representatives. If places like Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District seem within reach, the party could expand its list of targets next year.
MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, said it has spent more than $1 million so far supporting Matt Van Epps, the Republican candidate and a former Army helicopter pilot who served in combat missions overseas. This is the first time the organization has participated in a campaign since last year’s presidential campaign.
With the election coming just days after Thanksgiving, “I’m very concerned that we could be caught with our pants down,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Trump’s request to campaign for Van Epps, which was disclosed by two people with knowledge of the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly.
State Rep. Aftyn Behn, a Democratic candidate and progressive community organizer, is enjoying national support of her own, including a recent visit from party Chairman Ken Martin and $1 million in television and digital advertising from the House majority PAC, reported Friday.
The Tennessee Democratic Party hosted Harris for a canvassing kickoff Tuesday while she was in Nashville for her book tour. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said it did not invite the former vice president, who did not appear with Behn even though they spoke at different times at the same event.
Libby Schneider, deputy executive director of the Democratic National Committee, said a strong showing by Behn — even if she doesn’t win — would energize the party as it tries to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
“We continue to outperform where we don’t have any outperforming activities,” Schneider said.
In the four previous House special elections held this year, the Democratic nominee exceeded Harris’ vote share by an average of 9 percentage points.
A surprise abandonment, then a race for the seat
Tennessee held a special election after Republican Rep. Mark Green, first elected in 2018, retired earlier this year.
Green won the district by 21 percentage points in 2024, and Trump had a similar margin. It was one of three seats redrawn during redistricting in 2022 that attempted to erode the influence of Nashville, the state’s largest city and a Democratic stronghold.
Van Epps, a former state general services commissioner, aligned himself closely with Trump, whose support helped him win a crowded primary.
“I will support you 100%,” he told the president during the virtual rally. He pledged to focus on cutting costs and helping veterans, as well as supporting Trump’s immigration measures and rules banning transgender women from playing on women’s sports teams.
Behn, who describes herself as an “edgy social worker,” narrowly won the four-way Democratic primary. She supported Bernie Sanders in the 2020 presidential primary and was kicked out of the Tennessee House gallery in 2019 for shouting in protest at the former president.
Like Democrats who emerged victorious in New Jersey, Virginia and elsewhere earlier this month, Behn emphasized concerns about affordability. She highlighted his proposal to eliminate a state tax on groceries.
“We built the coalition of the disenchanted,” Behn said at a recent rally in Nashville. “If you are upset about the cost of living and the chaos in Washington, we are your campaign.”
Behn condemned Trump’s tax and spending legislation known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” as well as his tariffs, both of which Van Epps supported. She also criticized Republicans’ reluctance to release records related to Jeffrey Epstein, a sex offender who became infamous for his ties to the rich and powerful.
Van Epps initially opposed a House vote to force the Justice Department to release more documents, but changed his position to reflect Trump after the president supported the measure this week.
High stakes bring big money
Democratic allies hope to weaken Van Epps by promoting Jon Thorp, a conservative independent candidate in the race. Your Community PAC, which has spent more than $16 million supporting Democratic candidates across the country since last year, is sending mailers that encourage Republicans to vote for Thorp by describing Van Epps as a “RINO backed by a hedge fund billionaire.”
Most of the PAC’s funding comes from the North Fund, a nonprofit umbrella group for center-left advocacy organizations.
Conservatives for American Excellence, backed by megadonor Ken Griffin, is spending more than $600,000 on ads against Behn, according to a campaign finance report filed this week.
And the Club for Growth, a pro-school group heavily involved in the primary, is targeting Behn over past remarks in which she described herself as “radical.” The group has spent $300,000 on advertising so far.
Chip Saltsman, a Tennessee political strategist not involved in the race, said the scale of the spending doesn’t change his expectations that Van Epps will win. But it might not reach previous margins.
He suggested Republicans take “a few extra sips of Pepto Bismol on election night.”
The situation might “cause some heartburn, but they’re doing everything right.”
