US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) congratulated Matt Van Epps of the Republican Party on his projected victory over Democrat Aftyn Behn in the election to fill the one seat in the US House of Representatives previously vacated by Mark Green of the Republican Party.
“Congratulations to Matt Van Epps on his BIG Congressional WIN in the Great State of Tennessee. Radical Left Democrats threw everything at him including millions of dollars. Another great night for the GOP!!! President DJT,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Van Eps received 53.2 percent of the total votes polled at the time of writing, according to NBC News. Behn, on the other hand, received 45.7 percent of the vote.
Who is Matt Van Epps? What did he say after winning the Tennessee polls?
Matt Van Epps is a US military veteran and former state General Services Commissioner from Nashville.
After the results were announced, Van Epps said in a victory statement that he would be “all-in” with the Trump administration in the US Congress.
“To run from Trump is to lose. To run with Trump is to win,” he said, adding, “Our victory was fueled by a movement of Tennesseans who are ready for change. We are grateful to the president for his unwavering support that mapped this movement and catapulted us to victory.”
The Republican candidate benefited from more than $1 million spent by MAGA believers on his campaign.
But Democrats said they were proud of their performance in the race.
“Tonight’s results make it clear: No House Republican should be considered safe for re-election next November,” said PAC Communications Director CJ Warnke.
“Momentum is on our side,” Behn told MS NOW Tuesday night. “We’re overperforming where we need to be and underperforming in others.”
This GOP victory comes after Republicans redrawn the 7th District and two others in 2022 to prevent Democratic-elected Nashville from electing the next liberal to the US Congress. Only 20% of the vote in the 15-county district is in Nashville.
