Republican Congressional Candidates Engage Voters in Franklin Forum

Republican candidates in the election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District faced off in an Aug. 14 forum in Franklin’s Westhaven neighborhood, pitching themselves as the “true Conservative” ahead of the special election to replace now-former U.S. Rep. Mark Green.

Candidates fielded several questions, including what each saw as their "non-negotiable conservative principles” and their largest donors to date, in front of a crowd of more than 100 voters, in an event hosted by the Williamson County Republican Party and Westhaven Conservatives.

“We're here to elect a congressman, not a comedian,” state Rep. Jody Barrett (R-Dickson) said, in an obvious jab at one of his opponents, now-pardoned Jan. 6 insurrectionist Stewart Parks, who had the crowd laughing throughout the event.

“I didn't throw my constituents under the bus when the governor wanted to ram school choice down our throats. I didn't turn my back on people that elected me and cave to my Speaker [of the House Cameron Sexton], or my [state party] leadership, or Americans for Prosperity, or Club For Growth or whoever it is,” Barrett said.

“I stood there between my constituents and all of those powerful forces, and I took the bullets. I took the slings and the arrows; I didn't throw [constituents] in front of me to use them as a human shield, and so the same thing I will do for you in Congress when we get up there.”

Barrett earned first place in a straw poll among attendees at the forum, in what he told the Williamson Scene is an “indication that the message we’re giving to voters is resonating.”

Matt Van Epps earned second place in that straw poll. Van Epps, a first-time candidate, former commissioner of Tennessee's Department of General Services and U.S. Army Ranger and West Point graduate who served in the same special operations regiment as Green, touts Green’s endorsement.

Van Epps leaned on his military experience and talked about integrity and pledged transparency on his voting record if elected, arguing that he “can’t be bought” by special interest groups.

Mason Foley, a 28-year-old political newcomer, 2015 Page High School and Clemson University graduate, where he served as class president, leaned on his age as a strength, coming in third in the straw poll.

“There’s no better message to send in the country going into the midterms that my generation is behind the conservative agenda and we’re going to continue the movement throughout Trump’s presidency and long after he’s gone,” Foley told the Scene.

Other Republican candidates in attendance included state Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood), first-time candidate and former Metro Nashville Police Department Detective Joe Leurs; businessman Stuart Cooper; and former Tennessee state Senate staffer Tres Wittum, who unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination in the U.S. House District 5 race in 2022.

Three other GOP candidates, Montgomery County Commissioner Jason Knight, District 65 state Rep. Lee Reeves (R-Franklin), and Adolph Agbéko Dagan, were not present.

Williamson County GOP Chair Steve Hickey told the Scene that he was unaware of Dagan’s candidacy until the day before the event and reached out to him but did not hear back. Dagan has no online campaign presence.

Notably, Reeves lives in the Westhaven neighborhood where the forum took place, and his absence was highlighted by Brian Lombardo, the leader of the Westhaven Conservatives group, as well as by statements made by several voters in attendance.

Reeves’ campaign spokesman Brian Floyd told the Scene on August 15 that they have been “very clear” that Reeves will be at forums and debates “after the ballot is finalized,” citing both the August 15 deadline to withdraw from the race (one day after the Franklin forum) and the Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee finalizing ballot of bona fide Republicans.

At the time of publishing, both of those conditions have now been met, and on Aug. 19, Reeves did take part in a forum in Clarksville.

“There’s no reason for Lee Reeves, who is the leading candidate in this race, to be in a forum with candidates who will not even be on the ballot,” Floyd said.

Floyd argued that Reeve’s is the “leading candidate” due to what he said is “fundraising advantage,” calling him “the only candidate with a truly organized and professional campaign,” adding that they have been campaigning through mailers, texts and radio ads, as well as knocking on doors.

“There are at least a half dozen, if not more, forums that will be happening before Oct. 7, and Lee Reeves will be participating.”

Oct. 7 is the date of the primary, with the general election to be held on December 2. Several Democrats are also running for the seat.

The Aug. 14 forum can be viewed in its entirety below: