Republican Matt Van Epps won Tuesday’s special election for Tennessee’s 7th congressional district. But his 9-point victory is too close for GOP comfort: Donald Trump carried the seat by 22 points in 2024, suggesting a swing to Democrats nationally that could be enough to sweep away GOP control of the House come 2026.
Both parties poured millions into what should have been a sleepy special election to replace GOP Rep. Mark Green. But with Republicans clinging to a narrow House majority and Democrats riding momentum from November victories in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City, the contest became a high-stakes preview of next year’s midterm battles.
Polling ahead of Tuesday gave a clear edge to Van Epps, but suggested margins far narrower than the district’s Republican makeup would suggest. And now that we have results, Democratic strategists are pointing to the outcome as evidence of momentum heading into 2026.
This is a preview of Sydney Carruth's latest article. Read the full article here.
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