Polls have closed in Tennessee's special election to fill the House seat in the state's 7th Congressional District. Polls showed a tightening race down the stretch between Republican nominee Matt Van Epps, a combat veteran, and Democrat Aftyn Behn, a Tennessee state representative.

Tennessee

Polls have closed in Tennessee's 7th Congressional district, where voters participated in a special election to replace Republican Congressman Mark Green, who resigned in July. The contest features Democratic state representative Afton Bain and first-time Republican candidate Matt Van Epps, both of whom have received endorsements from major political figures in their respective parties.

The race has attracted over $8 million in funding, with more than $6 million coming from outside groups, reflecting its national significance. Observers note that the outcome may influence the tone of the upcoming midterm elections, as both parties seek to gain momentum in what has historically been a Republican stronghold.

Polls close in Tennessee special election for House seat

The polls closed just minutes ago in Tennessee. Voters in the state's 7th district have been casting their ballots in a special election to decide who will represent them in Congress. This comes after Republican Congressman Mark Green resigned in July. So hoping to replace him are Democratic Tennessee state representative Afton Bain and first-time candidate Matt Van Epps, a Republican. Both candidates have the support of some pretty big names in their respective parties. So CBS News correspondent Nicole Valdez joining us live now from Nashville with more on this. So the polls just closed. Too early, obviously, to call anything. What did we learn from the candidates, though, today? Well, you've got to imagine that both candidates right now are waiting to start to see those votes get counted, the results come in. We're actually inside the Republican event for now candidate, of course, Matt Van Epps. He will likely show up here in a little bit to not only address the several supporters that have showed up here tonight hoping to see him pull off a victory here. That is certainly the expectation of the Republican Party. Matt Van Epps told me directly that he expects to win this race decisively. The question is, by how much could that victory be? As we've seen several polls over the last few months, we noticed that they suggest that the race is tightening. And it's likely why we've seen such a growth in the national attention. And all these heavy hitters really pulling their weight, trying to drum up support for their respective candidates. Matt Van Epps, as you know, has been endorsed by President Trump. He has spent quite amount of time not only on his social medias, but hosting several virtual rallies for this Republican candidate. And Speaker Mike Johnson traveled down to Tennessee to campaign alongside the Republican candidate on the eve of Election Day. Meanwhile, the Democratic candidate, state representative Afton Bain, she has been leaning on support by AOC, by former Vice President Al Gore, just to name a few. And really, it's the focus on their attention, their time, and the money that's been poured in to this race that has made this such a significant issue, and really now a critical election. In fact, the CBS News analysis of Federal Election Commission data shows more than $8 million has gone towards this particular race, with more than $6 million of that donated by outside groups. So that is an indicator here just how important this race is on a national scale. There are many voters who we spoke to today who truly believe that this is going to be something that really sets the tone for the upcoming midterm elections. And those Democrats who are hoping to pull off an upset here want to send a message to Washington as to whether there could very well be a paradigm shift, something that we saw just last month in several victories in states like Virginia and New Jersey. The Democratic candidate here certainly trying to take advantage and use that momentum as a jumping off point, telling me, look, I hope that really this is a race that gives us a fighting chance to flip a historically red seat. And she says she believes anything's possible. Back to you. Nicole Valdez. Nicole, thanks so much. Well, stay tuned.

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