On Tuesday, the influence of President Donald Trump was evident as a candidate he endorsed emerged victorious in a highly competitive GOP special election primary for a vacant congressional seat in Tennessee.
The Trump-backed candidate, Matt Van Epps, who previously served as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services, won against 10 other Republican contenders seeking to represent the solidly Republican 7th Congressional District, as reported by the Associated Press.
With this win, Van Epps is well-positioned leading into the general election on December 2, aiming to succeed former Republican Rep. Mark Green, who left his post in June for a role in the private sector.
Trump’s endorsement was pivotal in the primary, even though it was issued after early voting had concluded. This support appeared to cement Van Epps’s lead over other candidates, including state Reps. Jody Barrett, Gino Bulso, and Lee Reeves, the latter of whom withdrew from the race and rallied behind Van Epps following the endorsement.
In his endorsement, Trump highlighted Van Epps’s “WISDOM and COURAGE” in defending the nation, supporting the military and veterans, and ensuring “PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.”
Expressing gratitude, Van Epps described Trump’s support as “an incredible honor.” Just the night before the primary, Trump participated in a tele-rally with Van Epps, co-hosted by the influential conservative group Club for Growth, which also endorsed him.
Trump had a strong showing in the district, located in central and western Tennessee and extending from Kentucky to Alabama, winning by approximately 20 points in the last presidential election.
Van Epps, a lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee Army National Guard and an experienced former Army helicopter pilot, also received endorsements from notable figures like Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.
Despite this, Barrett, claiming to be the “most conservative state rep in Tennessee history,” garnered support from the House Freedom Caucus’s political branch, which invested heavily in his campaign.
Meanwhile, four prominent Democrats are competing for their party’s nomination, including state Representatives Vincent Dixie, Aftyn Behn, Bo Mitchell, and businessman Darden Copeland.
Currently, Republicans hold a slim majority in the House at 219-213, with two open seats: the one in Tennessee and Texas’s 18th Congressional District, which became vacant following the death of Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner earlier this year.
In addition, Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, who recently won a special election in Arizona, has yet to be sworn in.
