Name: Trump’s pick Van Epps wins special election in deep-red Tennessee
Uploaded: 2025-12-03T09:01:13.580Z
Duration: 2 min 3 s
Description: Republican comfortably beats Democratic challenger after polls showed candidates in a close race in US state.

Republican comfortably beats Democratic challenger after polls showed candidates in a close race in US state.

Tennessee

Matt Van Eps has secured victory in the special election for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District, with strong support from President Donald Trump. Despite the district's conservative history, Van Eps won by a single-digit margin, a notable decrease from Trump’s 22-point win in the same district during the 2024 presidential election.

Democratic candidate Afton Bain ran on issues such as affordability and healthcare, narrowing the gap in a traditionally Republican stronghold. While the result does not alter the balance of power in the House of Representatives, experts suggest the close race may influence Republican strategies ahead of upcoming elections.

Trump’s pick Van Epps wins special election in deep-red Tennessee

Matt Van Eps will now head to Washington to represent the 7th District of Tennessee with the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump, who he embraced in his victory speech. Politicians who run from the president or abandon the common sense policies that the American people gave us a resounding mandate on do so with their own peril. No matter what the D.C. insiders or liberal media say, this is President Trump's party. I'm proud to be a part of it and can't wait to get to work. Afton Bain, the Democratic candidate, promoted very liberal policies in this very conservative state. She said on a podcast five years ago that she hated Nashville and country music, what Nashville is famous for. She later explained it was because of the tourists it brought in. Still, when the polls showed she could possibly win this race, Republican leaders and money poured in. Even U.S. President Donald Trump called in. The whole world is watching Tennessee right now. And now all of Washington will be watching the final vote count. The president won this district by 22 percentage points in 2024. Van Eps won by less than 10 percent, a single digit win. Experts say this will send a message to Republicans facing reelection in just under a year. Bain crediting her close race to her message that there is an affordability crisis in the country, something the president calls a Democratic hoax. And this campaign was rooted in something that's deeper than politics. We ran on an idea that government should work for working people. That families shouldn't be bankrupted by medical bills, that rural hospitals should stay open, and that health care costs shouldn't go up because someone in Washington wants a talking point. Thank you. This win won't change the balance of power in the House of Representatives, but it could force Republicans who want to win reelection to think about changing how they govern. Patty Culhane, Al Jazeera, Washington.

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