How a deep red Tennessee House district became a political battleground

At a get-out-the-vote rally in Nashville Monday morning for Republican congressional candidate Matt Van Epps, House Speaker Mike Johnson called President Donald Trump to say a few words.

“The whole world is watching Tennessee right now, and they’re watching the district,” Trump said.

This is not the first time the president has gotten involved in the race for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Trump called another pro-Van Epps rally last month, at which he referred to Van Epps’ Democratic opponent, Tennessee state Rep. Aftyn Behn, as “Tennessee’s AOC,” invoking another young politician who ran an insurgent campaign from the left, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Asked if he considered the president’s nickname for him to be an insult, Behn, 36, laughed.

“You know, she represents a very different district than I do,” Behn said of Ocasio-Cortez. “But we’ve both been organizing to make life more affordable for our constituents, and if that’s what that means, then that’s what it means.”

Trump is scheduled to lead another telerally for Van Epps on Monday night; Meanwhile, a pro-Behn tele-rally will be held at the same time, featuring none other than Ocasio-Cortez herself.

The special election to replace outgoing Republican Rep. Mark Green has drawn national attention, as Democrats push to frame the tight race as evidence of a looming “blue wave” in the 2026 midterms, and Republicans flood the deep red district with money to prevent a symbolic Democratic victory.

The election should be a sure win for any Republican candidate (Trump won the district last year by 22 points), but recent polls put Behn within striking distance of Van Epps.

“Our affordability message is really resonating throughout the district,” Behn told ABC News in an interview.

“Momentum is on our side, following the victory of the Democratic candidates earlier this month,” Behn added, in a nod to Democratic victories this year in places like Virginia and New Jersey.

But unlike those states, Behn’s congressional district runs with strongly conservative biases: A Democrat has not been elected to represent the district in Congress in more than 40 years.

“Democrats have some enthusiasm that they think will translate to Tennessee,” Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden said of the national fervor around the race. “Of course, we’re still Tennessee. We’re still pretty red.”

Tennessee’s 7th congressional district is predominantly rural, stretching from Tennessee’s northern border with Kentucky to the state’s southern border with Arkansas. The district includes parts of liberal Nashville, where national figures such as former Vice President Kamala Harris and Johnson have traveled to defend their respective candidates.

To curb Democratic momentum, Republicans are seeking to paint Behn as too “radical” in a district Trump won in a landslide.

In a statement, Van Epps told ABC News that “Tennesseans are excited to stop radical Aftyn Behn on Tuesday, December 2.” Van Epps’ campaign declined an interview request.

Behn says Republicans are attacking her because they “don’t have a plan to make health care more affordable.”

Republicans are also highlighting Behn’s 2020 comments about defunding the police when, in a June 2020 social media post, he asked a Nashville city council member for a proposal to “disband” the Nashville police department.

Behn told ABC News that “that was a moment in time.”

Outside dollars have flooded the race on both sides of the aisle to the tune of millions, with Republicans outspending Democrats. Golden says part of the reason this special election has become a national battleground has to do with the historically close margins in the House of Representatives.

“We have a very close and divided Congress. There’s one seat up for grabs. It’s the last election in 2025. So I’ve been saying all along that this was going to be the final showdown of the year,” Golden said.

“I never thought I’d see national attention devoted to a race like this,” Behn said.

Behn has also drawn attention for the way he has been able to galvanize young voters in the Nashville area.

“Many of us see it as an opportunity to finally get a seat at the table,” said Trent Benge, president of the Tennessee Young Democrats.

RaeAnna Morales, a junior at Vanderbilt and member of the Vanderbilt College Republicans, said Tuesday’s special election has been the “big conversation” on campus.

Morales expressed concern over Behn’s past comments that recently resurfaced, in which Behn says she “hates” Nashville.

“I hate the city. I hate single girls, I hate pedal bars, I hate country music. I hate all the things that make Nashville seemingly an ‘it’ city, for the rest of the country,” Behn said in a podcast in 2020.

“Nashville is known to be fun and lively for young college students, and there are always concerts and events. So I think Matt Van Epps really reflects the love for Nashville,” Morales said of Behn’s comments.

When asked about the comments on CNN over the weekend, Behn said, “Nashville is my home. Do I roll my eyes at the bachelorette parties and pedal bars blocking my access to my house? Yes, all Nashville residents do. But this race has always been about something bigger.”

Turnout will be vital on Tuesday, when a special election after Thanksgiving weekend will be one of the last things on voters’ minds. More than 80,000 Tennesseans cast ballots in the early voting period, and many more are expected to do so on Election Day.

“We haven’t had a special election in the state of Tennessee in over 40 years,” Golden said. “So no one is really sure how many people will turn out to vote.”