An analyst on Monday was stunned by how close a special election race has gotten in Tennessee — a deep red state — as a Democratic candidate shows significant strides in polling just hours before voting begins.
Political analyst David Chalian told CNN that Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn has focused on affordability in the tight race in Tennessee's seventh congressional district, which could show major shifts in the historically Republican-led state.
"Listen, the fact that we are even talking about this race is bananas, right?" Chalian said. "Donald Trump won the district a year ago by 22 percentage points. But we're talking about it because not just this district. We've seen in all the special elections for the House this year, significant Democratic overperformance; now it would have to be turbocharged, and it would be a political earthquake if she ends up the winner in this ruby red district. But, you know, she's taking a 22-point district and getting both sides to spend millions of dollars to say, 'Hey, this is actually competitive.' That shows you the political climate that we're in right now."
The election has put Republicans on the offense, with President Donald Trump even stepping in to try and campaign for Republican candidate Matt Van Epps and slamming Behn over country music and her religious views on his Truth Social platform during the holiday weekend.
"Matt is fighting against a woman who hates Christianity, will take away your guns, wants Open Borders, Transgender for everybody, men in women’s sports, and openly disdains Country music," Trump posted on Truth Social. "She said all of these things precisely, and without question — IT’S ON TAPE! Do not take this Race for granted. The Radical Left Democrats are spending a fortune to beat one of the best Candidates we’ve ever had."
Van Epps and Behn are vying for the seat left vacant by Rep. Mark Green, a Republican, that could ultimately flip a House seat. Polling was showing the race is now much closer than expected in a district Trump won convincingly in each of his three campaigns