GOP scrambles to avoid massive upset in deep-red state's special election

A special election for a deep red congressional district in Tennessee is heating up as Republicans fear a massive upset — and Democrats go on offense about the GOP's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case files.

According to Axios, "Trump won Tennessee's 7th congressional district by 22 percentage points in 2024. Losing the seat — vacated by former Rep. Mark Green — to Democrats would fuel expectations that the party is heading for a tough midterm election."

To try to tip the scales, "A liberal group called Your Community PAC began a $300,000-plus ad blitz on Friday attacking GOP nominee Matt Van Epps for opposing the release of documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein."

The Your Community PAC ad warns voters, "The Epstein files are locked away. Matt Van Epps will keep them that way." Additionally, another unidentified group has sent out a mailer that appears to encourage MAGA voters to break for independent candidate Jon Thorp, noting his support for releasing the files and Van Epps' opposition — all of which would benefit the Democratic candidate, state Rep. Aftyn Behn.

This comes as a bipartisan discharge petition to compel the release of the files by the Trump administration has gained enough votes, and House GOP leadership is planning to allow a vote on it next week.

As all of this is occurring, Republicans have been injecting their own cash and manpower into the race, fearful of being caught off guard, said the report.

"Trump on Thursday hosted a tele-rally in which he boosted Van Epps and labeled [Behn] a 'Marxist' and tied her to New York City mayor-elect and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani."

Behn has swatted aside these claims, telling the Nashville Banner, "I've spent my entire career focused on making healthcare more affordable, and I don't think that's 'radical.'"

Republicans have struggled with special elections throughout the year, and are worried about a repeat of the 2018 cycle, when Democrats similarly posted massive overperformances in special elections driven by voter rage at Trump. One of the most high-profile was Democrats' election of former Rep. Conor Lamb to what was at the time a heavily Republican seat in Pennsylvania.