Republican 7th Congressional District nominee Matt Van Epps is warning GOP voters of a tight race as the national spotlight focuses on the special election to fill the seat left empty following the resignation of former U.S. Rep. Mark Green.
Van Epps is the former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services and a current lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee National Guard, a role he said he intends to continue to serve in if elected to Congress.
He previously served in active duty as a U.S. Army Ranger in Afghanistan. He has been endorsed by President Donald Trump and is touting “the full support and backing of the White House and the [U.S. Speaker of the House’s] office, and then the [National Republican Congressional Committee].” (Read more on funding coming into the race here.)
In the home stretch, Van Epps has been speaking to Republican groups across the 7th district, including numerous appearances in Williamson County. He’s traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet several times with President Trump, as well as a meeting with U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana). Van Epps also took part in a Nov. 13 telephone rally with Trump.
“[Johnson] told me that he doesn't think that he's seen a more critical race than ours right now, because of all the dynamics in the country — the things that are happening in California, the other races that are going — that we will literally be down to, potentially a single vote,” Van Epps told a crowd of several dozen people during a Nov. 20 Westhaven Men’s Group meeting in Franklin.
“It's literally a decision, not about me, but about the forward direction of our country, about literally the fabric of our society, and what we want to happen moving forward, and it's about President Trump and his agenda and moving America First forward and ensuring that we're able to maintain and sustain that against … a completely opposite vision and a background that is not just not good for our district, for our state, or our country.”
Unlike during the primary, Van Epps’ messaging has shifted to the economy and cost of living, something that was largely ignored by Republicans during the primary and seized on by Democrats.
Republicans nationally have shifted their messaging on affordability following Democratic wins across the nation earlier this month, despite President Trump’s dismissal of ongoing economic struggles and his declining national approval rating (a fact that Van Epps disputes, calling Trump’s approval “still really high.”)
“Our vision is America first. It's low taxes; it's less regulation; it's limited government; it's support for families and farmers and business. It's supporting military veterans and law enforcement. It's standing with them, pro-Second Amendment, pro-life,” Vann Epps said.
Van Epps said he wants to decrease the average age of homeownership, decrease health care costs, and invest in roads and nuclear energy, but in speaking with the Williamson Scene, he was light on specifics about his positions on key issues, often simply reiterating his support of President Trump and his agenda.
When asked about the uncertainties of the changing technology and artificial intelligence, he said that he supports a “smart regulatory framework that enables the private sector to innovate and get things done fast — cut red tape, get unnecessary things out of the way.”
When asked if he thinks the Affordable Care Act should be repealed, Van Epps said that he will “take a hard look at it,” adding, “the president and the speaker have signaled an interest in negotiating on that.”
Van Epps said that he “fully supports” Trump’s nationwide immigration crackdown, and during the primary, he voiced support for ongoing attacks against alleged drug smugglers in and around Venezuelan waters. Some argue the attacks are illegal and could lead to a direct American attack on Venezuela, with the actions leading to the early retirement of an American admiral overseeing the region.
When asked if he supports direct military attacks on the Venezuelan government and military, Van Epps said, “I fully support our commander in chief, and we'll evaluate that situation once we get into office.”
In a widely circulated video by the liberal activism outlet Tennessee Holler, Van Epps remained silent on his position on the Epstein Files. He now says that he’s supported transparency and the release of the files “from the beginning.”
Van Epp’s statement came as Trump was pressured to sign a bipartisan bill requiring the release of unclassified Department of Justice files related to deceased sex offender and alleged sex trafficker Jefferey Epstein, who was associated with numerous powerful people, including Trump.
When asked if Van Epps would vote to hold Trump accountable if the files were to incriminate Trump in any wrongdoing or crime related to Epstein, he would not directly answer, telling the Williamson Scene, “there's a lot of hypotheticals there,” and reaffirmed his support of the president.
“What I'm going to be fighting for is for the House Oversight Committee to continue to have the full authority and the subpoena power, everything that they need to get to the bottom of all of it.”
Much of Van Epp's pitches to voters lean heavily on his military experience and that of his father in Vietnam, as he reinforces his time in uniform and highlights his differences and opposition to his Democratic opponent, State Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville), who Republicans have characterized as a “radical extremist,” a “socialist” and “communist,” in an attempt to discredit her.
And although he is still favored to win the recently redrawn district, the concerns of Republicans are open and palpable, with attack ads and social media campaigns ramping up. Behind the scenes, some Republicans speak of a lack of enthusiasm for Van Epps as their candidate, highlighting further divisions in the Republican Party and a fracturing MAGA base.
“This is the bellwether. This is the tone that we set for 2026, this is carrying forward in one of the most critical midterm elections that we will see, and we are on the front line of that,” Van Epps said, noting surging Democrat enthusiasm in the race, aided in part by an appearance in District 7 by former Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris last week.
“They throw everything at it that they can, and we've got to hold the ground,” Van Epps said. “We've got to push forward. Special elections are all about turnout.”
Early voting is open through Nov. 26, with the special election set for Dec. 2.
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