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Matt Van EppsR · TN-7
How outlets cover Van Epps · Nov 25 – Dec 1, 2025

Poll Shows Matt Van Epps Leading in Tennessee Special Election

A poll shows Matt Van Epps and Aftyn Behn in a close Tennessee special-election race. Coverage diverges on whether it signals Democratic momentum, tests Trump’s influence, or warns of a Republican upset.

Lead article · CNN · CENTERTennessee special election puts Democratic momentum in 2025 races to the test
Image · CNN
ARTICLES
8
OUTLETS
8
AVG CRED
66MEDIUM
AVG BAL
50SOME TILT

Community verdict

VOTING CLOSED
How does this story look for
Matt Van Epps R · TN-7
NOT RATEDCLOSED

No good or bad look here

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

● INFORMATIONAL
tl;drSUMMARY ACROSS OUTLETS

Outlets agree that a poll found Democrat Aftyn Behn and Republican Matt Van Epps in a close race for Tennessee’s 7th District special election.

Left-leaning outlets treat the closeness as a sign of Republican vulnerability and connect the race to Trump’s influence. Center outlets frame it as a test of Democratic momentum, with polling and turnout context. Right-leaning outlets stress a possible upset and implications for Republicans, while some also foreground criticism of Behn.

Outlets by lean

6 RATED · 2 UNRATED

Compare by side

THE FRAMEAVG CRED 67
“A warning sign for Republicans”

Left-leaning coverage presents the close race as a sign of Republican vulnerability and a test of Trump’s influence.

2 LEFT ARTICLES
The Daily BeastNOV 27 · 4:30 AM ET
Trump Panic as Poll Shows Brutal GOP Vote in Deep Red StateVan Epps is the Republican candidate in a close special election that could signal the parties’ prospects heading into the midterms.CRED 71BAL 45 PORTRAYS VAN EPPS: NEUTRALTHE DAILY BEAST · REPUBLISHED BY YAHOO NEWS
The New RepublicNOV 25 · 7:00 PM ET
Trump Panics as Democrat Close to Winning House Seat in Trump CountryVan Epps is nearly tied with Behn in the poll and has Trump’s endorsement.CRED 62BAL 25 PORTRAYS VAN EPPS: NEUTRAL
UNRATED · 2 · NOT ON THE SPECTRUM

How outlets portrayed Van Epps

Each article counts once, however many sites carried it. Sides are each outlet’s published lean. How portrayal is read

Left: 0 favorable, 0 critical, 0 mixed, 2 neutral. Center: 0 favorable, 0 critical, 0 mixed, 2 neutral. Right: 0 favorable, 0 critical, 1 mixed, 1 neutral.

2 UNRATED ARTICLES NOT SHOWN

When each side covered it

Articles per day by side. NOV 25: Left 1, Center 0, Right 0. NOV 26: Left 0, Center 1, Right 1. NOV 27: Left 1, Center 0, Right 0. NOV 28: Left 0, Center 0, Right 0. NOV 29: Left 0, Center 0, Right 1. NOV 30: Left 0, Center 0, Right 0. DEC 1: Left 0, Center 1, Right 0.

RIGHT-LEANING OUTLETS ARRIVED 20H LATER

Legislation in this story

1 BILL

Others in this story

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