Matt Van Epps

This candidate participated in a 2025 battleground election. Click here to read more about that election.

Matt Van Epps (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Tennessee's 7th Congressional District. He assumed office on December 4, 2025. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Van Epps (Republican Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent Tennessee's 7th Congressional District. He won in the special general election on December 2, 2025.

Van Epps is also running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Tennessee's 7th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on August 6, 2026.^[source]

Biography

Matt Van Epps earned his bachelor's degree in political science and mechanical engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and his master's degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.^[1] He served for a decade on active duty with the Tennessee Army National Guard, retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel.^[2]

2025 battleground election

See also: Tennessee's 7th Congressional District special election, 2025

Ballotpedia identified the December 2, 2025, special election as a battleground election. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.

Matt Van Epps (R) won the special election for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District on December 2, 2025. Click here for detailed election results.

Van Epps, Aftyn Behn (D), and four independent candidates ran in the election. The special election filled the vacancy created when the former incumbent, Rep. Mark Green (R), resigned on July 20, 2025.^[3]

Before the election, the Tennessee Lookout's Sam Stockard wrote, "The special election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District seat is shaping up as a classic conservative-liberal battle that pits urban versus rural voters in a heavily red region."^[4] According to The Tennessean's Austin Hornbostel and Vivian Jones, Republicans had represented the district since 1983, "but new district boundaries drawn by the Republican-controlled state legislature in 2021 moved the district into northern Nashville and added a significant Democrat population."^[5]

Van Epps was a Tennessee Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and a special operations helicopter pilot. He served as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services and as deputy chief operating officer in the governor's office.^[6] He earned his bachelor's degree in political science and mechanical engineering from West Point and his master's degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.^[7]

Van Epps' campaign website said he would bring "conservative leadership grounded in service, experience, and unwavering commitment to Tennessee values and President Trump's America First agenda."^[8] President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Van Epps days before the primary election.^[9] Van Epps said, "Together, we will bring down the cost of living, keep our families and communities safe, lower the cost of prescription drugs and healthcare, deport criminal illegals, and get our veterans the care and support they've earned."^[10]

Behn represented the 51st District in the Tennessee House of Representatives. She was elected in a 2023 special election and re-elected in 2024. Behn earned her bachelor's degree in psychology and her master's degree in social work from the University of Texas at Austin. She worked as a social worker and community organizer.^[11]

Behn's campaign website said, "She’s now running for Congress after the so-called 'Big, Beautiful Bill' passed — a giveaway to the wealthy that codified the largest transfer of wealth from working people to the rich in American history."^[12] Behn ran on her record as an activist and state representative.^[13] In a campaign ad, Behn said, "As a state representative in Tennessee, I fought to eliminate Tennessee's grocery tax. In Congress, I will fight to make sure your rural hospitals and nursing homes stay open, and I will make sure that no one loses their healthcare because they can't afford it."^[14]

Independents Teresa Christie, Bobby Dodge, Robert James Sutherby, and Jonathan Thorp also ran.

Heading into the election, Republicans had a 219-213 majority in the U.S. House with three vacancies. This was the sixth special congressional election in 2025, after two April elections in Florida's 1st District and 6th District, two September elections in Virginia's 11th District and Arizona's 7th District, and a November election in Texas' 18th District.

Elections

2026

General election

The primary will occur on August 6, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.

General election for U.S. House Tennessee District 7

Jonathan Thorp is running in the general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 7 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Jonathan Thorp (Independent)

	There are no incumbents in this race.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7

Aftyn Behn and David Jones are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7 on August 6, 2026.

		Candidate
		Aftyn Behn
	Submit photo	David Jones

	There are no incumbents in this race.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7

Incumbent Matt Van Epps, Jason Knight, Stewart Parks, and Jay Reedy are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Tennessee District 7 on August 6, 2026.

		Candidate
		Matt Van Epps
		Jason Knight
		Stewart Parks
		Jay Reedy

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

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