President Donald Trump delivered a primary-day endorsement to “America First Patriot Matt Van Epps” in the coveted GOP special election primary in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District.
“VOTE TODAY! It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot Matt Van Epps, who is running to represent the Great People of Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District,” Trump wrote Tuesday morning on the day of the primary balloting.
“Matt Van Epps has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Congressman from Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
The race to replace former Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., centers on one of three districts that GOP lawmakers drew as safely red in 2022 by dividing left-leaning Nashville.
The Dec. 2 general election could gauge the popularity of Trump’s aggressive second-term agenda, especially with suburban Republican voters.
The 7th Congressional District spans 14 counties, bordering both Kentucky and Alabama. Its voters elected Green by 21 percentage points in 2024 and by nearly 22 points in 2022. Along with parts of Nashville, it includes rural areas, wealthy suburbs and part of the Fort Campbell military installation.
“A West Point Graduate, and Combat Decorated Army Helicopter Pilot, Matt knows the WISDOM and COURAGE required to Defend our Country, Support our Incredible Military/Veterans, and Ensure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,” Trump’s Truth Social endorsement read.
“In Congress, Matt will work hard to Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Champion School Choice, Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment. He is strongly supported by my good friend, Congressman Jim Jordan, and many other highly respected MAGA Warriors!”
With 11 Republicans on the ballot, Van Epps turned heads when Trump first backed him Friday, the day after in-person early voting had ended. The endorsement prompted another high-profile candidate, state Rep. Lee Reeves, to announce he was suspending his campaign and backing Van Epps, a former general services commissioner in the administration of Tennessee GOP Gov. Bill Lee. The governor and Green had already endorsed Van Epps.
It was too late to remove Reeves’ name from the ballot.
The field includes two other Republican state representatives, Gino Bulso and Jody Barrett. Bulso is a Brentwood attorney who has been an outspoken advocate for socially conservative policies, including those that target LGBTQ people’s rights. Bulso has poured almost $700,000 of his own wealth into the race.
Outside groups have spent more than $3.1 million, almost all on the GOP side, with upwards of $1.1 million opposing Barrett.
School choice interests who have denounced Barrett’s vote against Gov. Lee’s statewide school voucher expansion are behind many of the attack ads against Barrett.
Barrett, an attorney from Dickson, has said he pushed back against the “elites” in his own party, and has praised a school choice tax credit initiative touted by Trump. He has the House Freedom Fund’s backing.
Those three have drawn the most attention, but they are not the only well-funded GOP candidates. Mason Foley, a healthcare businessman and former staffer for Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., loaned his campaign $325,000. And Stewart Parks, who was pardoned by Trump after entering the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, protest, contributed roughly $300,000 to his campaign through contributions and loans.
Also vying for the GOP nomination are Montgomery County Commissioner Jason Knight; Adolph Agbéko Dagan, a Clarksville businessman; former state legislative staffer Tres Wittum; and Joe Leurs, a retired Nashville Police undercover detective. Stuart Cooper, a Franklin businessman, also suspended his campaign and endorsed Van Epps after Trump’s endorsement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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