(MENAFN) Republican Matt Van Epps has won a closely-watched special congressional election in Tennessee’s 7th District, US media outlets projected Tuesday, fending off Democrat Aftyn Behn by around nine percentage points.

The race, seen as a test of Democratic momentum ahead of the 2026 midterms, drew national attention. Van Epps’s margin, however, is less than half of what President Donald Trump achieved in the district during the 2024 presidential election. The victory ensures Republicans retain their narrow House majority.

The seat, which spans from the Alabama border to Kentucky and includes parts of Nashville, has not elected a Democrat in over 40 years. It became vacant after Republican Mark Green resigned in July to enter the private sector.

Both parties invested heavily, with former Democratic Vice Presidents Kamala Harris and Al Gore campaigning for Behn, while Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Trump himself supported Van Epps, who closely aligned with the former president.

Van Epps celebrated the win, saying, “Running from Trump is how you lose, running with Trump is how you win,” emphasizing loyalty to Trump as a key to victory. Trump congratulated him on social media, highlighting the Democratic spending in the race.

Behn won only Davidson County, home to Nashville, but framed her defeat positively, calling it “the beginning of something powerful” and noting the unexpectedly close result. Democratic strategist Ian Russell added that the Republican effort to hold the seat, including millions in campaign spending, signals challenges for the party in upcoming elections.

Tennessee remains a stronghold for Trump, who won the state with over 60% of the vote in the past three presidential elections. Van Epps, a military veteran with nine tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, emerged from a crowded primary where loyalty to Trump was a key factor. Behn centered her campaign on affordability and local quality-of-life issues.

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