Republican candidate Matt Van Epps’s victory in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District special election prompted celebrations from his Republican colleagues in his state, Congress, and the White House.

Tennessee Rep.-elect Matt Van Epps celebrates his special election victory, thanking President Donald Trump for his endorsement and says his decisive win helps set the tone for the 2026 midterms.

Republican Matt Van Epps is the projected winner of the closely watched special election for Tennessee's U.S. House seat, according to the Associated Press.

But the race was still a massive underperformance. Van Epps defeated Democrat Aftyn Behn by around 9 points after Republicans blitzed the district that Trump won by 22 points. At one point, polling showed the race to be neck-and-neck.

Republican Matt Van Epps defeated Democrat Aftyn Behn in a special election in a conservative House of Representatives district in Tennessee Tuesday night—but Democrats improved on former Vice President Kamala Harris’ showing in the district.

While President Donald Trump has continued to tout victory in Tennessee, a slate of conservatives on social media has raised concerns about what they view as a too-close-for-comfort race.

Aftyn Behn had raised Democrats’ hopes for an upset in the conservative stronghold after late polling showed the state lawmaker within striking distance of Van Epps, a former Army helicopter pilot backed by President Trump.

Republicans averted an upset in a Tennessee-based US House race Tuesday, a relief to President Donald Trump and his congressional allies.