Republican Matt Van Epps has won a special election in Tennessee for a seat in the U.S. House. Van Epps was backed by President Donald Trump.

A Republican’s single-digit win in Tennessee already has GOP lawmakers talking about shifting their political strategy in next year's midterms.

Voters in Tennessee elected Republican Matt Van Epps to fill a vacant U.S. House of Representatives seat, U.S. media outlets projected on Tuesday, padding the narrow lead by President Donald Trump's party in the chamber heading into next year's midterm elections.

Republican Matt Van Epps, a military veteran and former state general services commissioner, defeated Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn by 9 percentage points on Tuesday for the seat vacated by Republican Mark Green, who retired over the summer. Green had won reelection in 2024 by 21 percentage points.

Early results are showing 36-year-old liberal state Rep. Democrat Aftyn Behn with an early lead over Republican U.S. Army combat veteran Matt Van Epps in the special election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District — a stunning development in the area considered safe Republican just a few weeks ago.

Rep.-elect Matt Van Epps of Tennessee, who won a hotly contested special congressional election is sworn in as the 220th Republican member of the House of Representatives.

Republican candidates are caught between Trump’s singular popularity with the Republican base and his distinct, and dipping, unpopularity with swing voters.

Republican Matt Van Epps wins Tennessee's 7th Congressional District special election with Trump's backing, but Democrats see hope in narrower margin.