Behn, Van Epps advance to December special election for 7th District seat
The race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Mark Green is headed to a December showdown between Democrat Aftyn Behn and Republican Matt Van Epps, after both candidates secured their parties’ nominations in the Oct. 7 special primary.
Van Epps, a businessman from Nashville, quickly rose to the top of the crowded 11-person Republican field after receiving a high-profile endorsement from former President Donald Trump. He won comfortably across much of the 14-county 7th District, including 58% of the vote in Cheatham County.
On the Democratic side, the race was far tighter. Nashville state Rep. Aftyn Behn edged out her competitors by just under 1,000 votes. Fellow Nashville lawmakers Bo Mitchell, Darden Copeland and Vincent Dixie trailed close behind. In Cheatham County, Mitchell led the Democratic field with 37% of the vote, while Behn received 25%.
A total of 4,546 Cheatham County residents cast ballots in the primary – about 15% of the county’s registered voters, a turnout rate that is typical for a primary election.
The special general election to fill Green’s vacant seat in the U.S. House is set for Tuesday, Dec. 2. The winner will serve the remainder of Green’s term, which runs through January 2027.
Key Dates for Tennessee’s 7th District Special General Election
- Monday, Nov. 3 – Voter registration deadline
- Wednesday, Nov. 12 – Early voting begins
- Saturday, Nov. 22 – Deadline to request an absentee ballot
- Wednesday, Nov. 26 – Early voting ends
- Tuesday, Dec. 2 – Election Day
Due to construction at Pegram City Hall, early voting from Nov. 12 to Nov. 26 will be held in the activity center at Pegram Park. On election day, Kingston Springs residents will vote at Harpeth High School, and Pegram residents will vote at Pegram Park.
