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● InformationalElections / Campaigns

Tennessee election updates: Voters hit polls in tighter-than-expected race

Behn lost to Van Epps, while her close showing drew attention as a possible signal for the midterms.

Tennessee election updates: Voters hit polls in tighter-than-expected race
Image · Yahoo News

SOURCE CHECK

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Host credibilityYahoo News74/100 HIGH
This article1 analysis · Oct 12, 2026

Credibility rates Yahoo News, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.

Republished with credit

Republished from USA Today, with credit to the original publisher.

USA Today80/100 HIGH

21 stories · 79–81 · updated Oct 13, 2026

This is USA Today's own score, and this article is credited to USA Today. The host score in the Source Check is Yahoo News's.

Yahoo Newsvia USA Today
Dec 2, 2025
tl;dr

Republican Matt Van Epps defeated Democrat Aftyn Behn in Tennessee’s special election for the 7th Congressional District, but the closer-than-expected margin drew attention as a possible warning sign for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Community verdict

VOTING CLOSED
How does this story look for
Aftyn Behn D · TN
NOT RATEDCLOSED

No good or bad look here

This story reports what happened without casting Behn in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Behn’s record.

● INFORMATIONAL

People in this story

SWIPE →
Aftyn Behn
D · TN

Democratic candidate who lost the Tennessee special election

PRIMARY SUBJECT
Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President who campaigned for Van Epps and criticized Behn

Trump's version of this story ↗
Matt Van Epps
R · TN-7

Republican winner of Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District special election

Van Epps's version of this story ↗
Mark E. Green
Former U.S. Representative (R-TN)

Former representative whose retirement left the seat vacant

Abigail Davis Spanberger
Former U.S. Representative (D-VA)

Democrat cited as a contrast to Behn’s political profile

Mike Johnson
R · LA-4

Speaker of the House who campaigned for Van Epps

Mikie Sherrill
Former U.S. Representative (D-NJ)

Democrat cited as a contrast to Behn’s political profile

Kamala Harris
Former U.S. Senator (D-CA)

Former vice president cited for her 2024 vote share in Davidson County

Representative invoked by Republicans’ label for Behn

ALSO MENTIONED  Al Gore, Former vice president who campaigned for Behn; Bill Lee, Tennessee governor who spoke at Van Epps’s victory event; Joe Gruters, Republican National Committee chairman who characterized the result as a rejection of Democrats’ platform; Ken Martin, Democratic National Committee chairman who described Behn’s showing as a warning sign for Republicans; Scott Golden, Tennessee Republican Party chairman who introduced the victory speech

Discussion · 0

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