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Jason Knight (Tennessee)
Jason Knight (Republican Party) is running in a special election to the U.S. House to represent Tennessee's 7th Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the special Republican primary on October 7, 2025.[source]
Knight is also running for election to the U.S. House to represent Tennessee's 7th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.[source]
2025 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the October 7, 2025, Republican primary as a battleground race. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.
The Republican special primary election for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District will be held on October 7, 2025. The general election will be held on December 2, 2025.[1]
The special election will fill the vacancy Mark Green (R) left when he resigned on July 20, 2025, to take a job in the private sector.[2]
WPLN News' Marianna Bacallao wrote, "The Republican side of the race is crowded with 11 men vying for the GOP nomination, the majority of whom have aligned themselves with President Donald Trump in campaign materials."[3] Compared to the Democratic primary, Nashville Banner's Sarah Grace Taylor said, "The Republican primary may be even more complex to predict, with a crowded field of similar candidates lacking big-name contenders."[4] The last Democrat to represent the district was Ed Jones, who last represented the district in 1983.[5]
Five candidates — Jody Barrett, Gino Bulso, Stewart Parks, Lee Reeves, Matt Van Epps — lead in media attention ahead of the election.[4][6] Barrett, Bulso, and Reeves are state representatives. Parks is a real estate developer, and Van Epps is an Army combat veteran.[3]
Barrett was first elected to represent House District 69 in 2022. Barrett highlighted his perfect score on Tennessee Stands' legislative report card, and his campaign website said he was "graded the most conservative legislator in Tennessee history."[7][8] He is running on his record as a state representative, and his campaign website said, "He has consistently stood up for life, defended the Second Amendment, backed law enforcement, and fought back against radical leftist ideology infiltrating our schools, our borders, and our way of life. He is Tennessee-First and America-First."[8]
Bulso was first elected to represent House District 61 in 2022. He is running on his record as a state representative, and his campaign website stated, "In the state legislature, Gino has led the charge in supporting President Trump’s America First agenda. He championed the TRUMP Act to end taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants, sponsored a ban on sanctuary cities, and blocked Chinese Communist Party-linked entities from buying Tennessee farmland. He defended girls’ sports from woke gender ideology, safeguarded medical freedom during the COVID era, and stood strong for constitutional carry and Second Amendment rights."[9]
Parks, a real estate developer, was arrested on June 3, 2021, in relation to his attendance at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. His campaign website said, "To be able to serve in Congress – to fight for America First and for President Trump’s agenda – after being deprived of my own freedom and thrown into prison by the corrupt Biden Administration, would send the perfect message to the elite political establishment."[10] On the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump (R) pardoned Parks among a group of about 1,500 individuals convicted of crimes related to the Capitol breach.[11]
Reeves was first elected to represent House District 65 in 2024. Reeves said, "President Trump is our quarterback, leading the charge to restore America's strength, security, and values. I'm ready to run the route, take the handoff, or set the block-whatever it takes to advance the conservative principles that have made our district, our state, and our country strong. That's precisely what I've done in the Tennessee House, and I'll bring that same fight to Washington."[12] His campaign website stated, "Lee Reeves fully backs President Trump and his America First agenda to secure our borders, strengthen our nation's defenses, and restore the traditional values that made America great."[13]
Van Epps is a combat veteran and West Point graduate.[14] Gov. Bill Lee (R) appointed Van Epps commissioner for the Tennessee Department of General Services in 2024, and Van Epps resigned in June 2025 to run in this election.[15] Green endorsed Van Epps, calling him "a decorated combat veteran, a relentless fighter, a principled conservative, and exactly the kind of leader the 7th District wants as its voice in Washington."[16] In his campaign announcement, Van Epps said, "It’s time to secure the border, protect our values and put Tennessee first."[3]
Stuart Cooper, Adolph Agbéko Dagan, Mason Foley, Jason Knight, Joseph Leurs, and Tres Wittum are also running.
Elections
2026
See also: Tennessee's 7th Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for U.S. House Tennessee District 7
The following candidates are running in the general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 7 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Aftyn Behn (D) | |
| David Jones (D) | ||
 | Jason Knight (R) | |
 | Stewart Parks (R) | |
 | Jay Reedy (R) | |
 | Matt Van Epps (R) | |
 | Jonathan Thorp (Independent) | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2025
See also: Tennessee's 7th Congressional District special election, 2025
Tennessee's 7th Congressional District special election, 2025 (October 7 Democratic primary)
Tennessee's 7th Congressional District special election, 2025 (October 7 Republican primary)
General election
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
The primary will occur on October 7, 2025. The general election will occur on December 2, 2025. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Special general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 7
Teresa Christie, Bobby Dodge, Robert James Sutherby, and Jonathan Thorp are running in the special general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 7 on December 2, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Teresa Christie (Independent) | ||
| Bobby Dodge (Independent) | ||
| Robert James Sutherby (Independent) | ||
| Jonathan Thorp (Independent) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Steven Hooper (Independent)
- Scerick Richard Longcope (Independent)
- David Richard Holbert (Independent)
- Caleb Stack (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7
Aftyn Behn, Darden Copeland, Vincent Dixie, and Bo Mitchell are running in the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7 on October 7, 2025.
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Joy Davis (D)
Republican primary election
Special Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7
The following candidates are running in the special Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7 on October 7, 2025.
Candidate | ||
 | Jody Barrett | |
 | Gino Bulso | |
 | Stuart Cooper | |
 | Adolph Agbéko Dagan | |
 | Mason Foley | |
| Jason Knight | |
 | Joe Leurs | |
| Stewart Parks | |
 | Lee Reeves | |
| Matt Van Epps | |
 | Tres Wittum | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Robby Moore (R)
- Robert James Sutherby (R)
- Brandon Ogles (R)
- Eddie Lee Murphy (R)
- John Wilt (R)
- John Wesley Smith IV (R)
- Michael Vogel (R)
- Noah Cline (R)
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from RealClearPolitics, when available. We will regularly check for polling aggregation for this race and add polls here once available. To notify us of polls available for this race, please email us.
Election campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jody Barrett | Republican Party | $241,872 | $171,718 | $70,154 | As of September 17, 2025 |
| Gino Bulso | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Stuart Cooper | Republican Party | $34,313 | $27,409 | $6,904 | As of September 17, 2025 |
| Adolph Agbéko Dagan | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Mason Foley | Republican Party | $396,278 | $272,361 | $123,917 | As of September 17, 2025 |
| Jason Knight | Republican Party | $41,170 | $36,067 | $5,103 | As of September 17, 2025 |
| Joe Leurs | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Stewart Parks | Republican Party | $334,307 | $330,034 | $4,273 | As of September 17, 2025 |
| Lee Reeves | Republican Party | $569,015 | $487,487 | $81,528 | As of September 17, 2025 |
| Matt Van Epps | Republican Party | $359,256 | $249,877 | $109,379 | As of September 17, 2025 |
| Tres Wittum | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2025. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[17][18][19]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
| By candidate | By election |
|---|---|
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2019
See also: Tennessee state legislative special elections, 2019
General election
Special general election for Tennessee State Senate District 22
Bill Powers defeated Juanita Charles, Doyle Clark, and David Cutting in the special general election for Tennessee State Senate District 22 on April 23, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Bill Powers (R) | 53.6 | 6,461 |
 | Juanita Charles (D) | 44.4 | 5,352 | |
 | Doyle Clark (Independent) | 1.3 | 155 | |
 | David Cutting (Independent) | 0.7 | 84 | |
| Total votes: 12,052 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Special Democratic primary for Tennessee State Senate District 22
Juanita Charles advanced from the special Democratic primary for Tennessee State Senate District 22 on March 7, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Juanita Charles | 100.0 | 1,125 |
| Total votes: 1,125 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Special Republican primary for Tennessee State Senate District 22
Bill Powers defeated Jeff Burkhart, Betty Burchett, and Jason Knight in the special Republican primary for Tennessee State Senate District 22 on March 7, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bill Powers | 37.3 | 2,782 |
 | Jeff Burkhart | 33.7 | 2,513 | |
 | Betty Burchett | 17.4 | 1,297 | |
| Jason Knight | 11.6 | 868 | |
| Total votes: 7,460 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
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2025
Jason Knight has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Jason Knight, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.
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2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jason Knight completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Knight's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Transparency in Government Infrastructure School security and safety of our children with better pay for educators
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Currently the IEP process for disabled children in school takes awhile to process due to how the diagnosis is done I believe that process should be streamlined and educators at all levels should be well trained regarding IEPs
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
I look up to my father because he taught me the value of hard work and discipline.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
I like reading the book “company command”
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
The ability to listen to the people and communicate their voice when voting on and legislature.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I have been a company commander in the army 2x. That leadership ability I feel gives me the courage confidence and strength to stand up for what I believe in and what the people believe in.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
To listen to the people.
What legacy would you like to leave?
A legacy of truth and openness.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
I was half a mile away on 9/11 when the first tower fell and I was a mile away when the second tower fell. Surviving that has opened my eyes to many things.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
My first job was working with my father who was an electrician.
What happened on your most awkward date?
I tripped
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Veterans Day because I am a veteran and I believe Veterans Day should be everyday ??
What is your favorite book? Why?
Animal farm, because it shows just from my perspective that if you work hard enough you can be anything you want to be regardless of who you are.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
Captain America ??
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My kids
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
Star spangled banner
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
Dealing with the death of my father and my daughter
Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?
Having a bicameral state allows less government control
What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?
Draw back of unicameral state is that it gives Government too much control.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?
No
What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?
Keeping up with what the community wants versus what the legislators want. All too often representatives make decisions that they think are in the people’s best interests and sometimes that’s not the case.
What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?
To have a good relationship and understanding in order to be able to pass laws that benefit the community
Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.
Yes, because to get any bill passed other legislators have to be able to understand and agree.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
I would have to take a full look
If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
I would love to be on a veteran based committee being a veteran myself I believe I can best assist there.
If you are a current legislator, what appealed to you about your current committees?
As a county commissioner I enjoy being on the library board it gives me the opportunity to work with an institution that infrequent with my children
If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the legislature, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?
I am currently a member of the Republican Party
Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
Ronald Reagan
Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?
Currently no
Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?
There was one where it was explained to me the struggles someone was going through in order to get an IEP approval at a school this touched me because I absolutely related as my wife and I went through the same struggles. Having a child with autism can be a struggle sometimes just trying to get schools to approve IEPs
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
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Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Secretary of State Tre Hargett Provides Timeline for Seventh Congressional District Special Election," July 24, 2025
- ↑ The Tennessean, "US Rep. Mark Green will step down July 20. Who could replace him?" July 8, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 WPLN News, "Meet the congressional candidates for Tennessee’s special election," August 14, 2025
- ↑ Congress.gov, "Representative Ed Jones," accessed September 8, 2025
- ↑ Williamson Scene, "Republican Congressional Candidates Engage Voters in Franklin Forum," August 20, 2025
- ↑ Lewis County Herald, "Rep. Barrett Receives First-Ever Perfect Score on Legislative Report Card: Most Conservative Legislator in State History," June 5, 2025
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Jody Barrett 2025 campaign website, "About Jody Barrett," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ Gino Bulso 2025 campaign website, "Meet Gino," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ Stewart Parks campaign website, "Home," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ Tennessee Star, "Tennessean Stewart Parks Among J6 ‘Hostages’ Pardoned by President Trump," January 20, 2025
- ↑ Lee Reeves 2025 campaign website, "Home," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ Lee Reeves 2025 campaign website, "Meet Lee Reeves," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ Matt Van Epps 2025 campaign website, "home," accessed August 25, 2025
- ↑ Nashville Banner, "June 11: Matt Van Epps Ready to Run; TCOG Sounds the Alarm," June 11, 2025
- ↑ Fox17, "Mark Green endorses Matt Van Epps in Tennessee race," July 14, 2025
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
