Republicans took a victory lap when Matt Van Epps defeated leftist Democrat Aftyn Behn in Tennessee&#8217;s special election this month.
But what, if anything, does Van Epps&#8217;s victory mean for Republican prospects as we head into the 2026 midterm elections?
The Daily Wire asked three Republican strategists to share their key takeaways from this race. All three said that Democrats run the risk of killing any momentum they have if they nominate far-left candidates in primaries for competitive seats.
“For all the handwringing about margin of victory, this was nearly a double digit win. Special elections are special for a reason, and Republicans were wise to leave nothing to chance and sprint through the tape,” South &amp; Hill Strategies co-founder Colin Reed said, calling Van Epps the “type of candidate the GOP needs more of.”
“There are some useful lessons looking forward for both parties: for the GOP, the midterm political climate remains challenging, as it always does for the party in charge, and for the Democrats, they need to nominate less extreme candidates if they want to compete beyond the deep blue bastions of America,” he said.
“That’s a challenge for them because the far Left is where all the energy and enthusiasm resides.”
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The results of the 2026 midterms will shape the final two years of President Donald Trump’s time in the White House. Currently, there are 220 Republicans and 213 Democrats in the House of Representatives, with two seats that are vacant. The magic number for a majority is 218, which both parties are vying for both on the campaign trail and in mid-decade redistricting battles.
Van Epps won with roughly 54% of the vote, leaving Behn with just over 45%. In 2024, Rep. Mark Green, who resigned earlier this year, won the seat with 59.5% of the vote, with President Donald Trump also winning heavily. Van Epps was sworn in on Thursday.
The race led to surrogates campaigning left and right, from President Donald Trump phoning into a rally with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), to former Vice Presidents Kamala Harris and Al Gore hoping to rally the troops for Behn.
Despite her loss, Behn expressed confidence about the margin by which she lost, as she ran her campaign largely on affordability, but faced a wave of scrutiny for her past far-left comments on abolishing prisons, law enforcement, and abortion.
“Tonight, we did something everyone counted out. We proved to a nation that states like Tennessee are still worth fighting for,” Behn posted to X on Tuesday. “The margin was close, and that can only be attributed to the thousands of volunteers who showed out. This is just the beginning.”
Chris Burger, founder and CEO of the Tennessee-based Rotunda Public Affairs, said that “voters weren’t buying what she’s selling.” Burger pointed out how the Democrat was in a primary with three others: Darden Copeland and state Reps. Bo Mitchell and Vincent Dixie.
“This is what happens when you have four people in a Democratic primary, and they elect by a pretty close margin, the most extreme left-wing person in the race, and then all the far-left activists and the national media complex come together,” he added.
&#8220;They put all their attention and money into it, and they threw the kitchen sink at it. And you know, Aftyn&#8217;s a far-left socialist and she does not represent the Seventh District or Tennessee values at large,&#8221; he said.
A third GOP operative, who spoke with The Daily Wire on background, said that they are “very encouraged” by Tuesday night’s results, and said that “a nine-point margin is really strong compared to what we&#8217;re seeing in other elections this cycle.”
However, the operative cautioned that special elections are just that — special — and that turnout likely looks very different from that during a standard election. The operative also pointed out the major messaging pivot by Democrats between the start of the year and now, which went from focusing highly on Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to discussing the cost-of-living.
&#8220;Affordability, they call it, was a con job by the Democrats,&#8221; Trump said during his cabinet meeting earlier this week, as he often blames Democrats and the Biden administration for policies that triggered high inflation.
Burger said that the affordability argument from Democrats like Behn falls flat on its merits when people consider the &#8220;policy objective&#8221; the candidates are campaigning for.
&#8220;If you look at what the Democrats want to do: government involvement. And government involvement typically always drives the price up.

Aftyn Behn and Matt Van Epps

Three GOP Strategists Explain Why Aftyn Behn Lost — And What It Means For 2026

Aftyn Behn

Congress

Elections

Matt Van Epps

Politics

Tennessee

U.S. House of Representatives

With the coming resignation of Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency will soon have an open chair. One Republican congressman isn&#8217;t wasting time vying for the seat.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) pulled out his phone, hit record, and announced his bid to chair the DOGE subcommittee Wednesday on X.
&#8220;I sure would love an opportunity, and I know the cards are stacked against me,&#8221; Burchett <a href="https://x.com/timburchett/status/1996228120047735117?s=20">said</a>. &#8220;I don&#8217;t do a lot to endear myself to the leadership, but frankly, they don&#8217;t do a lot to endear themselves to me.&#8221;
The DOGE Subcommittee, part of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, is one of two congressional counterparts to President Donald Trump&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency. Burchett currently serves on the committee and thinks he could help lead it into the future.
&#8220;I would get with folks like y&#8217;all out there on the social media and put some pressure on some of these gutless legislators to pass some of this stuff,&#8221; the congressman continued.
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Talking directly to his followers, Burchett said bluntly that he&#8217;s not very good when it comes to having to &#8220;kiss a lot of butt.&#8221;
&#8220;Y&#8217;all know how this game works, gotta raise a lot of money and kiss a lot of butt, and I don&#8217;t do a good job at either one of those.&#8221;
But his no-nonsense approach is why he said he would be an effective leader of the committee designed to eliminate government waste.
&#8220;I think I got the backbone and I guess the guts to go after this spending. I would propose some daggum legislation to do it. I think I know where a lot of it&#8217;s hidden.&#8221;
Burchett took office in 2019 after serving as a state senator and mayor of Knox County. He also serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure and Foreign Affairs Committees.
Greene said the committee&#8217;s role is to identify and investigate waste and corruption in the federal government.
&#8220;Our subcommittee will provide transparency and truth to the American people through hearings,&#8221; she said when the subcommittee launched. &#8220;The goal of DOGE is to bring accountability and GUT useless government agencies.&#8221;
Greene announced on November 22 that she&#8217;s leaving Congress effective January 5, 2026, after a public fallout with Trump.
Burchett is a strong Trump ally and recently received the president&#8217;s <a href="https://x.com/timburchett/status/1985439493680160796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">endorsement</a> for re-election.
&#8220;He will never let you down,&#8221; Trump said.
If appointed to chair the DOGE subcommittee, Burchett would start after the first of the year.

Tim Burchett

Tim Burchett Makes A Run At DOGE Subcommittee Chair

Tim Burchett Shoots His Shot At Becoming DOGE Subcommittee Chair

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

Donald Trump

Elon Musk

Marjorie Taylor Greene

Republican Matt Van Epps fended off a challenge from far-Left Democrat Aftyn Behn on Tuesday during a special election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District.
With 95% of the vote in, <a href="https://election-night.decisiondeskhq.com/date/2025-12-02">DecisionDeskHQ</a> has called the race for Van Epps 53.9% to 45%. Other outlets followed shortly after.
Van Epps&#8217; victory allows Republicans to breathe a sigh of relief after Democrats surged money and resources into the race, hoping to capitalize on typically low Republican turnout in special elections. A win for Behn in the deep red district would have sent shockwaves throughout the nation. The self-described “radical” community organizer had previously voiced support for burning down police stations and supported transgender surgeries on young children.
The race was scheduled after former Rep. Mark Green announced his resignation earlier this year. Green won the district, which stretches from Tennessee’s borders with Kentucky and Alabama and includes parts of Nashville, by over 20 points.
In recent weeks, money poured into the race as Behn campaigned with Democrat favorites Al Gore and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
House Speaker Mike Johnson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-reputation-of-our-state-is-on-the-line-gop-begins-final-push-before-critical-house-election?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98The+Reputation+Of+Our+State+Is+On+The+Line%E2%80%99%3A+GOP+Begins+Final+Push+Before+Critical+House+Election">traveled to Tennessee</a> on Monday to rally support for Van Epps.
Van Epps’ win bolsters Johnson’s slim majority in the House, which currently sits at 219-213.
Behn had a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-for-the-crucial-tennessee-special-house-election?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Everything+You+Need+To+Know+For+The+Crucial+Tennessee+Special+House+Election">fundraising advantage</a> over Van Epps, raising over $1 million between October 1 and November 12 while Van Epps took in $591,000 during that same timeframe. At the same time, the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc spent over $1 million backing Van Epps, while the Democrat-aligned House Majority PAC and Your Community PAC have spent a combined $950,000 supporting Behn.
Behn won a crowded Democratic primary in August despite a history of leftist advocacy out of touch with much of the Volunteer State’s conservative leaning.
She once claimed that <a href="https://x.com/claytravis/status/1993319674352697755?s=42">men can give birth</a>. Behn also said that the murder of six children by a transgender-identifying gunman at the Covenant School in Tennessee made her more sympathetic to “trans communities.” That apparent sympathy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-aftyn-behn-said-covenant-shooting-made-her-fearful-for-trans-communities">inspired</a> her to “fight the far-right narrative that is being emanated by Matt Walsh and The Daily Wire.”
Behn also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-congressional-candidate-backs-trans-procedures-for-kids-campaigns-with-drag-queen">backs</a> transgender procedures on children, draping a trans flag on her back during “Pride” month and writing on social media: “THESE COLORS DON’T BLEED. Remember, you come for my trans community, I come for you.”
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In a May 2022 podcast appearance, Behn said she supported the mailing of abortion pills into Tennessee by outside groups. Medication abortions are illegal under Tennessee law.
“We’ll continue to figure out how to get abortion pills to people. So the organizing does not stop just because Roe is overturned,” Behn said.
Last month, Behn <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/music-city-fumble-dem-candidate-said-she-hates-city-she-wants-to-represent-in-congress">went viral</a> for comments she made about her hatred of country music and the city of Nashville.
Van Epps also won a crowded Republican primary after earning an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Trump called into a rally for Van Epps featuring Tennessee GOP heavyweights and held a tele-rally on Monday night for the Republican on the eve of the election.

No Dem Upset Aftyn All: Van Epps Defeats Radical Leftist Aftyn Behn In Tennessee Special Election

We all remember the moment from &#8220;Anchorman&#8221; when Ron Burgundy, played by Will Ferrell, read the words, &#8220;Go F*** Yourself, San Diego,&#8221; to end a live news broadcast. Even though he was just blindly reading the words from the Teleprompter, which had been sabotaged, it didn&#8217;t matter. Rioters threatened to kill Ron Burgundy. He was fired. Everything changed after that moment, and everyone in the theater understood why. You see, the anchorman had just said something highly profane about the residents of his own city, on camera. It&#8217;s the kind of thing that you simply cannot come back from — unless, like Ron Burgundy, you manage to redeem yourself by saving a woman from being mauled by a bear. Which is the kind of thing that would get anyone out of the doghouse.
Back in 2004, no one would need to have this joke explained to them. The humor was pretty self-evident. But just twenty years later, it&#8217;s not remotely clear that this scene would land. For one thing, we don&#8217;t really have comedy movies anymore. That’s not just a thing people say. It’s true. Hollywood stopped making comedies right around 2012 to 2013. Now the genre essentially doesn’t exist.
But more importantly, in 2025, recent events have demonstrated that it&#8217;s actually very possible for a prominent person to tell an entire city to go f*** itself, in no uncertain terms, and then remain popular in that same city — popular enough to potentially win a congressional race. In fact, it&#8217;s now a viable campaign strategy to look the voters in the eye and pull a Ron Burgundy because, as it turns out, insulting the voters can somehow make you more popular than you were before.
If that sounds hyperbolic to you in any way, then you probably haven&#8217;t been following the rise of a Democrat congressional candidate named Aftyn Behn, who&#8217;s running in today&#8217;s special election to fill a seat in Tennessee&#8217;s 7th Congressional District. This is a district that includes downtown Nashville and most of Nashville&#8217;s black population — along with several Republican-dominated suburbs like Franklin, plus several rural counties. Back in 2020, as we&#8217;ve discussed, Behn openly attacked the city she intends to represent in Congress. She stated that she hates Nashville, and then she went on to name several specific features of the city that she despises.
But the really remarkable part of this story is that, having trashed her own potential voters in this resurfaced clip, Aftyn Behn has made the conscious decision to stand by her remarks. And, in doing so, she appears to have strengthened her political position. She&#8217;s running in a district that went for Donald Trump by more than 20 points in the last election. And yet, according to a recent Emerson College poll, Behn is within 2% points — within the margin of error — of winning this race. The Republican, Matt Van Epps, is barely holding onto the lead.
Before we get into the implications of this race for the Republican Party — and there are many implications — there are some recent videos you need to see. Without context, you might assume these clips are coming from some kind of satirical film about U.S. politics, like a modern-day take on &#8220;Anchorman.&#8221; 
They&#8217;re darkly hilarious, in many ways. But they&#8217;re very real. 
<h3>Watch:</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
CNN: &#8220;Do you think it was a mistake to say you hated Nashville?&#8221;
AFTYN BEHN: &#8220;I was a private citizen.&#8221;
So yes, she still hates Nashville and people will still vote for her <a href="https://t.co/Lrg8jwsNXt">pic.twitter.com/Lrg8jwsNXt</a>
— Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) <a href="https://twitter.com/saras76/status/1995155204464083308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @saras76/X.com
She can&#8217;t even muster up a single word of praise for Nashville — not a single positive thing — even when it&#8217;s teed up for her. The best she can do is utter a non sequitur about how she made the previous remarks bashing Nashville as a &#8220;private citizen,&#8221; as if that&#8217;s relevant in any way. But if anything, that makes it worse, because it means it&#8217;s what she actually believes. It&#8217;s something she said before she had an obvious incentive to lie, as a politician.
Of course, this woman knows what just happened in Virginia, where a Democrat sociopath — someone who says he wants conservatives and their children to die — just won the race for attorney general. She understands that Democrat voters are motivated, above all else, by hatred. And she&#8217;s made the calculation, at this point, that the only viable path forward is to appeal to Democrats&#8217; profound disdain for the world they live in (or, in this case, the city they live in).
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1700-the-matt-walsh-show?elementPosition=2&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-976065" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-768x128.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1536x256.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1.jpg 1800w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
To be clear, if she had just said that she hates the bachelorette parties in Nashville or whatever, that wouldn&#8217;t really be an issue. If she had said she just hates the pedal taverns and wants to abolish them and imprison everyone involved, I would wholeheartedly agree. But she explicitly stated that she also hates the entire city as a whole. And now she&#8217;s banking on the possibility that most people living in Nashville also hate the entire city — hate themselves, essentially. And frankly, she might be right.
In recent days, across various interviews with friendly outlets, Behn has used the same script when she&#8217;s been asked about her many, many other deranged comments. 
Here&#8217;s another example:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: CNN&#8217;s Kasie Hunt gives up and moves on after far-left congressional candidate Aftyn Behn of Tennessee refused to admit that funding the police is a good thing.
Hunt: Would you like more money for more cops on the streets in your district?
Behn: So those um, past comments… <a href="https://t.co/DScvVKZQYt">pic.twitter.com/DScvVKZQYt</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1995657250581742007?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @CollinRugg/X.com
Notice that, in this case, CNN attempts to do her a favor. They don&#8217;t show any of the &#8220;old posts&#8221; that they&#8217;re asking about. They think they&#8217;re teeing up a softball question — where she can safely say, without any pushback, that yes, she wants police departments to exist. This is one of those issues that, especially now that the George Floyd hysteria has subsided, is something you&#8217;d hope 100% of Americans would agree on.
But still, even with this very generous setup, she doesn&#8217;t give the answer that a well-adjusted, sane human being would give. Instead, she once again states that she was a &#8220;private citizen&#8221; when she made those &#8220;old posts,&#8221; which remain unmentioned. And then, when she&#8217;s pressed on her non-answer, she strongly suggests that, indeed, she still wants to defund the police, in the year 2025. She states that she&#8217;s going to defer to her &#8220;community,&#8221; rather than take any position of her own. And then she proceeds to say that her &#8220;community&#8221; wants &#8220;mental health services.&#8221; She never says her &#8220;community&#8221; wants to have a police department.
Again, it&#8217;s the kind of answer that will only appeal to you, as a voter, if you&#8217;re a deeply disturbed individual. And the more this woman rises in the polls, the more we have to ask ourselves if that&#8217;s a fair way to describe the entire Democrat Party — as in, every single voter they have.
Over at MSNBC — a.k.a. &#8220;MS NOW&#8221;  — the damage control went even worse for Aftyn Behn. That&#8217;s because, in this interview, the anchor actually put some of her tweets up on the screen, to great comedic effect.
<h3>Watch:</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democrat Aftyn Behn refuses THREE TIMES to walk back her previous calls to defund the police:
MSNBC: &#8220;Do you still stand by those comments?&#8221;
BEHN: &#8220;I&#8217;m not going to give cable news talking points&#8230;.
MSNBC: &#8220;What is your position today?&#8221;
BEHN: &#8220;I&#8217;m gonna talk about my race.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/92YRm2KMOk">pic.twitter.com/92YRm2KMOk</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1992748967491510366?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @RNCResearch/X.com
Yeah, she&#8217;s not going to get into &#8220;cable news talking points&#8221; — like addressing the question of whether she supports burning down police stations. That&#8217;s just a &#8220;talking point&#8221; — as in, it&#8217;s something that she explicitly stated that she supports, just a few years ago. And to this day, she won&#8217;t renounce it.
To be clear, Aftyn Behn is indeed a real person. This is a real candidate that the Democrat Party is running for a House seat. And they&#8217;re not disavowing her, or even criticizing her, in any way. Why would they? Behn represents the mainstream Democrat Party. That&#8217;s the important point here. If someone says he&#8217;s a Democrat, this is what he&#8217;s supporting.
And just to emphasize that point, the Democrat Party has come out and announced that they strongly support everything this woman is saying.
This is a post from <a href="https://x.com/kenmartin73/status/1995235893116821694?s=20">Ken Martin</a>, the chair of the Democrat Party, just a couple of days ago.
<blockquote>Democrats are building momentum. We’re all gas, no brakes. Let’s do everything we can to chip away at the GOP’s House majority. This Tuesday, get out and vote for Aftyn Behn if you live in TN-7!</blockquote>
So there it is. The highest levels of the Democrat Party have endorsed one of the most demented candidates to run for office in the modern history of this country. They&#8217;ve also endorsed all of this.
<h3>Watch: </h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Democrat Party is backing a candidate who wants to abolish police and thinks burning down police stations is justified.<a href="https://t.co/rzLjel5I5F">pic.twitter.com/rzLjel5I5F</a> <a href="https://t.co/KVbtPprrJR">https://t.co/KVbtPprrJR</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1995324387587727378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @RNCResearch/X.com
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 Democrat nominee for the upcoming TN07 special election Aftyn Behn condemns women who get married and start families&#8211; saying it&#8217;s the product of &#8220;deeply patriarchal structures&#8221;:
&#8220;My therapist always asks me to transcribe my dreams and the recurring dream I&#8217;ve had is standing… <a href="https://t.co/LTsYj0im7Q">pic.twitter.com/LTsYj0im7Q</a>
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1993043067486527894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @greg_price11/X.com
She says, &#8220;My therapist always asks me to transcribe my dreams, and the recurring dream I&#8217;ve had is standing up in a Cafeteria full of women and saying &#8216;I don&#8217;t want children. I want power!'&#8221;
Just by itself, 15 years ago, that statement would&#8217;ve been disqualifying, regardless of your politics. For one thing, she&#8217;s going around admitting that she&#8217;s in therapy — which obviously isn&#8217;t something you should brag about. There&#8217;s no reason to be proud of the fact that you&#8217;re paying someone with a master&#8217;s degree who has a vested interest in making sure you&#8217;re never &#8220;cured&#8221; of whatever disorder he&#8217;s diagnosed you with. That&#8217;s a point of shame, not pride. In fact, in a sane country, going to therapy would be disqualifying for any political candidate. If you need therapy, you are not mentally strong enough to hold political office, or any other position of importance.
But that clip gets even worse when she goes on to explain that marriage punishes women, and forces them into &#8220;patriarchal structures,&#8221; whatever that means. Maybe she&#8217;s talking about no-fault divorce laws, where women can cheat on their husbands, and then take half their assets. Who knows — she didn&#8217;t really elaborate, as far as I can tell.
What I do know is that there are many, many more clips that illustrate how unhinged this woman is. She also admitted that she follows around ICE vehicles, and harasses ICE officers and state troops, for example. She says she&#8217;s uncomfortable with Christian influence in government. And so on. But we&#8217;ll end with this clip — which we&#8217;ve played before — because it really underscores the extent of the threat that this woman, and the Democrat Party in general, pose to our country. This was how Aftyn Behn responded to the massacre of Christian men, women and children at the Covenant School in Nashville. In the aftermath of the shooting, she didn&#8217;t say she was worried about the safety of Christians, who had just been massacred because of their faith by a trans-identifying terrorist. Instead, she said the so-called &#8220;trans community&#8221; was under attack — and that, as a politician, one of her primary goals would be to go after me, and The Daily Wire. 
<h3>Watch:</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: This is how Democrat Aftyn Behn responded to the Covenant shooting, when a trans-identifying woman killed six at the Christian school.
It inspired Behn’s first run for office…so she could fight to protect “trans communities” and against Daily Wire and <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattWalshBlog</a>. <a href="https://t.co/th13e1v6dW">pic.twitter.com/th13e1v6dW</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1992975426193326512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @realDailyWire/X.com
The fact that a woman this deranged and evil even has the slightest possible chance to win the special election today — in a district that Trump carried by more than 20 points, in a deep-red state, in a race against a candidate who has been endorsed and heavily promoted by Donald Trump — is a very, very bad sign for the future of the Republican Party.
Over the past few months, we&#8217;ve talked about some major built-in advantages that Republicans are probably going to have, in future elections. If the Voting Rights Act is gutted by the Supreme Court, which is the expected outcome, Democrats will lose several seats in the House. And as more illegal aliens are deported, and as more people leave failing states like California and New York for states like Florida and Texas, Democrats will lose even more representation in Congress.
But these benefits only exist at the margins. They don&#8217;t protect the Republican Party against a complete and total collapse of popular support. And that appears to be where the party is headed, given that Democrats are running complete sociopaths — and winning, or coming very close to winning. If today&#8217;s election in Tennessee is indeed even somewhat close — if this woman isn&#8217;t completely blown out — then we are headed for the worst-case scenario, one year from now in the midterms. Democrats will sweep both houses of Congress, if this trend continues.
And we shouldn&#8217;t be surprised by that outcome, if it should come to pass. Republicans in Congress have been so ineffective that they&#8217;ve failed to give voters a single reason to support them. This is the point where, as we talked about yesterday, the Trump administration has to step in, and take decisive action — any kind of decisive action — that actually improves the lives of American citizens in some tangible way. Denaturalize as many Somali fraudsters as you can. Bomb as many drug dealers as possible. Suspend all foreign migration. Do something, or else you&#8217;ll be replaced very quickly by lunatics and craven degenerates like Aftyn Behn. Today&#8217;s election is a massive warning sign. The polling alone makes that very clear. We can either heed that warning now, while we still have time, or we will lose so badly in 2026 that, as a country and as a movement, we may never recover.

MixCollage-02-Dec-2025-04-42-PM-4216

This Is The Platform That Psycho Feminist Aftyn Behn Is Running On. It’s Crazier Than I Thought.

This Is The Platform That Psycho Feminist Aftyn Behn Is Running On. It's Crazier Than I Thought.

Democrats

Leftists

Matt Walsh

Opinion

NASHVILLE—It was freezing and windy with the occasional snowflake, and no, we aren&#8217;t talking about the libs. Election Day in Tennessee was cold, but the race between Democrat Aftyn Behn and Republican Matt Van Epps is hot.
Voters hit the polls in District 7 on Tuesday with certain issues top of mind. Tennesseans told The Daily Wire that the economy was the issue that hit home.
The Daily Wire talked to one woman who said affordability is what she wants to see in Tennessee.
&#8220;For me, it&#8217;s affordable housing, that&#8217;s a part of our country that needs a lot of help.&#8221;
Both candidates have focused on economic issues throughout the race. Van Epps <a href="https://www.mattfortn.com/issues">said</a> he backs President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;America First&#8221; agenda. His plan for the economy is to partner with Trump to rebuild the economy by bringing manufacturing back to U.S. soil, unleashing American energy, and creating jobs. Behn argues that Trump&#8217;s tariffs are hurting the U.S. economy and has raged against &#8220;tax cuts for billionaires.&#8221; She also claims that she would push to make healthcare more affordable for people in Tennessee.
After speaking to voters on Tuesday, it&#8217;s clear that dollar signs are on their minds.
&#8220;We want economic change, and we want to feel like our taxes are going to things that matter,&#8221; one voter said.
Other voters expressed border security and abortion as top concerns. One voter told The Daily Wire that Behn&#8217;s leftist views, especially on abortion, were too radical for middle Tennessee.
&#8220;The abortion, it&#8217;s a human life. I can&#8217;t vote for it,&#8221; the voter said. &#8220;Some of Aftyn Behn&#8217;s views aren&#8217;t what I want in this district.&#8221;
President Donald Trump and Republican leaders have also ripped Behn for her radical leftist views, urging conservatives to hit the polls hard.
“This is a big deal, because right now we’re like, three votes up on the radical left, and this would be a wonderful victory for us,” Trump said, according to the New York Post. “It’ll be really a positive sign.”
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-big-deal-trump-calls-on-tennessee-republicans-to-surge-to-the-polls">‘A Big Deal’: Trump Calls On Tennessee Republicans To Surge To The Polls</a>
Behn has come under fire for saying that she hates Nashville, parts of which she&#8217;s running to represent. In a clip from a podcast appearance in 2020, Behn said, &#8220;I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate pedal taverns, I hate country music.&#8221;
Behn walked back her past comment, saying in a video after the clips resurfaced that she does not hate the city she wants to represent. But is that enough for Music City residents?
&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t look good for sure,&#8221; a voter told The Daily Wire.
But some voters didn&#8217;t care that Behn had said some negative things about their city.
&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t bother me. I think there&#8217;s a lot of people that are not comfortable with the city,&#8221; a woman said.
One Van Epps supporter, however, didn&#8217;t hold back his feelings for Behn.
&#8220;This girl is as dumb or maybe dumber than AOC.&#8221;
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Leftist New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez got behind Behn during the special election campaign and spoke during a virtual rally for the Tennessee Democrat on the eve of the election.
Behn is just two points behind Van Epps, a former Army helicopter pilot. Trump won Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district  by 22 points in 2024, and Republicans have breezed to victories in House elections in recent years. Most Republicans aren&#8217;t expecting that big of a victory on Tuesday night, but President Trump is hoping Van Epps will outperform expectations.
“I want Matt to do better than me, even,&#8221; Trump said on Monday.
Polls close in Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Special Election Day In Tennessee

Voters Reveal Their Top Issues In Tennessee’s Special Election

Election

Nashville

Tuesday&#8217;s special election in Tennessee&#8217;s deep red 7th district should cause the Republican Party to &#8220;wake up&#8221; and &#8220;start paying attention to [its] base,&#8221; according to Republican Rep. Tim Burchett.
Burchett <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6385857265112">told</a> Fox News on Tuesday morning that he&#8217;s concerned about &#8220;homegrown Marxists,&#8221; including Democratic candidate Aftyn Behn, becoming competitive against Republicans in conservative districts. Burchett pointed out that Behn was &#8220;educated in Knoxville, Tennessee.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s not these people moving in from New York, California, or Chicago, even. It&#8217;s our own homegrown Marxists that we&#8217;re bringing up,&#8221; said Burchett, pushing back on a common complaint from Tennessee Republicans, who argue that people who move from blue states are making Tennessee more liberal. &#8220;We&#8217;ve got to start paying attention to our base and what the heck is going on.&#8221;
Burchett argued that Republican Matt Van Epps is &#8220;one of the best candidates I&#8217;ve ever seen.&#8221;
&#8220;This is the proverbial canary in the cave,&#8221; the congressman added. &#8220;If Matt Van Epps, a qualified candidate in a district that Trump won by over 15 points, can&#8217;t carry this thing, we&#8217;re in trouble. Republicans are asleep at the switch. We pay attention to presidents, because President Trump is a great president. We should be paying attention to him, but when it gets down to the other races, we forget about it.&#8221;
Democrats and Republicans have poured millions of dollars into the special election, as polls showed that Behn has a chance to keep the race close. Burchett said Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district shouldn&#8217;t even be considered a possibility for Democrats to flip. Burchett blamed low turnout from Evangelical Christians and gun owners as the main reason that Republicans often struggle in special elections and off-year elections.
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&#8220;It should not even be a race,&#8221; he said. &#8220;[Behn] is a Marxist, and she&#8217;s not even a friendly Marxist like AOC.&#8221;
Democrats believe that Behn, who has advocated for abolishing police departments and supports gender procedures on children, has a chance to pull off a remarkable upset and flip the Tennessee district to the Democratic Party. The 7th district seat went up for grabs after Republican Rep. Mark Green retired earlier this year. Polling results, released by Emerson College and The Hill on Monday, showed Behn trailing Van Epps by just two points.
Along with pushing leftist policies, Behn has also been criticized for saying that she hates Nashville, parts of which she is running to represent.
“I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country,&#8221; Behn <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/music-city-fumble-dem-candidate-said-she-hates-city-she-wants-to-represent-in-congress">said</a> during a 2020 podcast appearance.
President Donald Trump and Republican leaders have emphasized the importance of the special election for the GOP heading into the 2026 midterm elections. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-reputation-of-our-state-is-on-the-line-gop-begins-final-push-before-critical-house-election?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98The+Reputation+Of+Our+State+Is+On+The+Line%E2%80%99%3A+GOP+Begins+Final+Push+Before+Critical+House+Election">campaigned</a> with Van Epps in Franklin, Tennessee, on Monday alongside Tennessee Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty. Trump also called into Monday&#8217;s rally and addressed the crowd over speaker phone, The Daily Wire previously reported.
Prominent Democrats have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-name-dems-make-final-pitch-for-aftyn-behn-hope-for-tuesday-miracle-in-tennessee?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Big-Name+Dems+Make+Final+Pitch+For+Aftyn+Behn%2C+Hope+For+Tuesday+%E2%80%98Miracle%E2%80%99+In+Tennessee">rallied</a> around Behn, with former Vice President Al Gore, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) joining a virtual rally with Behn on Monday night.

‘We Need To Wake Up’: Tennessee Congressman Has Stark Warning For GOP Ahead Of Special Election

President Donald Trump called the special election for former GOP Rep. Mark Green’s Tennessee seat a “big deal” and said he wants Republicans to surpass his 2024 margins in the district.
Trump made the remarks in a Monday night tele-rally for Matt Van Epps, the Republican candidate running against Democrat Aftyn Behn in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Voters head to the polls on Tuesday to bring an end to a race that has drawn millions in outside spending as Democrats believe they have an opportunity for an upset. 
“This is a big deal, because right now we’re like, three votes up on the radical left, and this would be a wonderful victory for us,” Trump <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/01/us-news/trump-calls-tennessee-special-election-a-big-thing-suggests-results-will-reflect-on-him-and-the-gop/">said</a>, according to the New York Post. “It’ll be really a positive sign.” 
Trump won the district by more than twenty percentage points in the 2024 presidential race. 
“If it’s like two points less than that, they’ll say, ‘Oh, that’s terrible. I guess Trump’s losing his magic,&#8217;” Trump said. “I want Matt to do better than me, even.&#8221;
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-reputation-of-our-state-is-on-the-line-gop-begins-final-push-before-critical-house-election?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98The+Reputation+Of+Our+State+Is+On+The+Line%E2%80%99%3A+GOP+Begins+Final+Push+Before+Critical+House+Election">who spent</a> Monday in Tennessee campaigning with Van Epps, was also on Monday night&#8217;s call with Trump. 
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“It is no secret my majority in Congress is razor-thin,” Johnson said. “Every seat matters more than ever, and that’s exactly why we need Matt here in Washington.”
Later in a social media post, Trump <a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1995676855651664182">called</a> for his supporters to surge to the polls. 
“I am asking all America First Patriots in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District to please GET OUT AND VOTE TOMORROW for a phenomenal Candidate, Matt Van Epps, on Election Day, Tuesday, December 2nd!” Trump <a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1995676855651664182">said</a>. “HE WILL BE A GREAT CONGRESSMAN and, unlike his Opponent, he cherishes Christianity and Country Music — She has openly stated that she hates them both!”
Earlier on Monday, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-reputation-of-our-state-is-on-the-line-gop-begins-final-push-before-critical-house-election?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘The+Reputation+Of+Our+State+Is+On+The+Line’%3A+GOP+Begins+Final+Push+Before+Critical+House+Election">called</a> into a rally in Franklin, Tennessee, where Johnson, Republican senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, and GOP Governor Bill Lee were all rallying support for Van Epps. 
“It’s all going to come down to the numbers, and my friends, the Democrats have seen an opportunity. They’re counting on us to slide into December 2 having enjoyed Thanksgiving and not thinking that this seat is at risk,” Hagerty said. “The message that we can send from here in Tennessee has to be loud and clear. Not only is Tennessee a red state, Tennessee seven is a red district, and the reputation of our state is on the line.”
Behn also held a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/big-name-dems-make-final-pitch-for-aftyn-behn-hope-for-tuesday-miracle-in-tennessee?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Big-Name+Dems+Make+Final+Pitch+For+Aftyn+Behn%2C+Hope+For+Tuesday+‘Miracle’+In+Tennessee">virtual rally</a> on Monday night, featuring Democrat favorites like former Vice President Al Gore and far-Left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Democrats hope to capitalize on high turnout in parts of Nashville and on low Republican turnout in rural areas. 
More than 84,000 Tennesseans have already cast their ballots during the early voting period, which lasted from November 12 to 26, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1169221962004705&amp;set=pcb.1169223325337902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> state officials. Polls in Tennessee will stay open until 7:00 p.m. CST.

MixCollage-02-Dec-2025-07-14-AM-4931

‘A Big Deal’: Trump Calls On Tennessee Republicans To Surge To The Polls

Mark Green

Prominent Democrats from across the country were campaigning for Tennessee Democrat Aftyn Behn on Monday night as the party hopes to pull off a &#8220;miracle&#8221; in Tuesday&#8217;s special election.
Behn, running against Republican Matt Van Epps for Tennessee&#8217;s 7th Congressional district seat, was joined on a Zoom call by some of the Left&#8217;s biggest names, including former vice president Al Gore, and far-left congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal. The virtual rally was the final event of Behn&#8217;s special election campaign and was attended by around 1,200 people, many of whom appeared to be hopping on Zoom from out of state based on their comments in the video call&#8217;s chat.
Ocasio-Cortez acknowledged that it would take a &#8220;miracle&#8221; for Democrats to turn the Tennessee district blue, but added that Behn&#8217;s position in the race has shown that &#8220;miracles still happen.&#8221; The democratic socialist from New York urged Democrats in Tennessee to remain hopeful that politicians like Behn can successfully push leftist policies in deep red states as the Democratic Party looks ahead to the pivotal 2026 midterm elections.
Behn is hoping to win the deep red district despite pushing leftist policies in the past, including voicing support for abolishing police departments and saying that she was &#8220;fearful&#8221; for &#8220;trans communities&#8221; after a trans-identifying shooter killed three Christian schoolchildren and three staff members in Nashville.
Behn&#8217;s Republican opponent was rarely mentioned during the rally, as the Democratic speakers focused much of their attention on attacking President Donald Trump and his administration. Democrats are positioning the Tennessee special election as a referendum on Trump&#8217;s agenda, as the party is optimistic that Behn is within striking distance in a district that went for Trump by 22 points in 2024.
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The virtual rally got off to a bumpy start when Gore was introduced by Behn&#8217;s campaign manager, with the former vice president nowhere to be seen. After a few quiet and awkward moments, Gore&#8217;s face appeared on screen and he was introduced for a second time. Gore kicked off the rally by doubling down on that focus and painting the Trump White House as one of the most evil and corrupt administration&#8217;s in U.S. history.
Earlier on Monday, big name Republicans also gathered in the district to push Van Epps as the GOP and Trump emphasize the importance of the special election. At the Van Epps rally, Republicans were confident that they would win on Tuesday, but also acknowledged that the margins could be closer than what Republicans have come to expect in the district, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-reputation-of-our-state-is-on-the-line-gop-begins-final-push-before-critical-house-election?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=Original&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=%E2%80%98The+Reputation+Of+Our+State+Is+On+The+Line%E2%80%99%3A+GOP+Begins+Final+Push+Before+Critical+House+Election">reported</a>.
Republicans and Democrats have poured millions of dollars into the special House race, with Behn’s campaign raising over $1 million between October 1 and November 12, according to campaign finance records. In that same timeframe, Van Epps raised $591,000, but the Republican candidate is also getting a big boost from Trump-aligned outside groups that have spent over a million dollars on advertisements.
Over 84,000 voters cast their ballots during the early voting period, which lasted from November 12-26, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1169221962004705&amp;set=pcb.1169223325337902">according</a> to the Tennessee Secretary of State. A large chunk of Republicans and Democrats are still expected to head to the polls on Tuesday morning. Polling results from Emerson College and The Hill <a href="https://www.wsmv.com/2025/12/01/poll-shows-republican-van-epps-holding-slight-lead-over-democrat-behn-tennessees-special-congressional-race/">released</a> on Monday showed Van Epps with just a 2-point edge on Behn.
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Al Gore/Aftyn Behn/AOC

Big-Name Dems Make Final Pitch For Aftyn Behn, Hope For Tuesday ‘Miracle’ In Tennessee

Al Gore

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Republicans

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — “The reputation of our state is on the line,” said Tennessee Republican senator Bill Hagerty as he addressed several hundred Republican voters gathered Monday morning to rally support for congressional candidate Matt Van Epps one day before a crucial special election.
The temperatures outside were chilly, but the mood of Republican officials inside the rally was confident yet urgent. Most said they believed that Van Epps would win the race for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, but that the margins could be closer than what would typically be expected in the Republican favorable district. Van Epps is facing off against state Democrat Representative Aftyn Behn, a far-Left candidate who supports transgender procedures on kids and wants to roll back Tennessee’s pro-life protections.
Democrats have poured millions into the race, capitalizing on their wins last month and hoping for low Republican turnout in the rural areas of the district and high turnout in parts of Nashville. Former congressman Mark Green won the district by over 20 points during the 2024 election before later announcing his resignation.
“It’s all going to come down to the numbers, and my friends, the Democrats have seen an opportunity. They’re counting on us to slide into December 2 having enjoyed Thanksgiving and not thinking that this seat is at risk,” Hagerty said. “The message that we can send from here in Tennessee has to be loud and clear. Not only is Tennessee a red state, Tennessee seven is a red district, and the reputation of our state is on the line.”
Hagerty said he believed that Van Epps would be OK, but that Tennessee voters had a chance to put a stop to Democrat confidence after racking up wins in Virginia and New Jersey.
The rally was held at the barn of American businessman and billionaire Willis Johnson in rural Williamson County with the backdrop of Johnson’s classic car collection on display. Inside the rally were a who’s who of Volunteer State Republicans, including Governor Bill Lee, Senator Marsha Blackburn, Rep. John Rose, Rep. Andy Ogles, Rep. Tim Burchett, state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, and state GOP Chair Scott Golden.
&#8220;We are going to win this because we are going to have a coalition that gets out and we&#8217;re going to win decisively,&#8221; Van Epps told the crowd, promising to fight for America First policies if elected to office.
Van Epps won a crowded Republican primary in August after being endorsed by President Donald Trump. A number of Van Epps&#8217; primary opponents, including Reps. Gino Bulso and Jody Barrett, were in attendance and gave Van Epps their full-throated support.
Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters also spoke, as did House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who flew in from Washington, D.C., Monday morning. To much cheering, Johnson called President Donald Trump, who addressed the crowd on speaker phone.
<div id="attachment_1007877" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1007877" class="size-full wp-image-1007877" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248788404.jpg" alt="FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE - DECEMBER 1: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) holds his phone to the microphone during a call with U.S. President Donald Trump during a get out the vote event held in support of Republican congressional candidate Matt Van Epps on December 1, 2025 in Franklin, Tennessee. Tennessee's 7th congressional district special election is being held to fill the seat vacated following the resignation of republican Mark Green. " width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248788404.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248788404-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248788404-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/GettyImages-2248788404-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images.</div>
Trump said that he heard the “crowd is incredible” and that he wanted to be there in person, but that the Secret Service said it would be difficult on such short notice.
“I love Tennessee, one of my all-time favorite places. Tennessee, I guess, loves me because we won by the biggest margins anybody has ever won by,” Trump said. &#8220; But if you can go Matt Van Epps, he&#8217;s a winner, he&#8217;s going to be great. Don&#8217;t let this stuff fool you.”
Trump also ripped into Behn for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/music-city-fumble-dem-candidate-said-she-hates-city-she-wants-to-represent-in-congress">previously saying</a> that she hates country music. “How the hell can you elect a person like that?” Trump asked.
Several Republican officials said that they expected Van Epps to win by about 7-10% of the vote. State Senator Joey Hensley told The Daily Wire he thought he would win by 8-10% of the vote, while Williamson County GOP Chair Steve Hickey said he believed the margin would be about 7%. Congressman John Rose told The Daily Wire he thought Van Epps would finish strong.
Multiple local attendees who spoke with The Daily Wire said that they worried that a sense of complacency had set in across the district because the seat went so strongly Republican in the past. Attendee Matt said that he couldn’t believe how close the polls indicated the race would be and said he was confused why Green resigned his seat. Chad, who said he had voted early, said he was worried that Republican turnout would be low.
Other Republicans said the result would hinge on turnout. “The game is tied and it will be decided what we do tomorrow,” Golden said.

House Speaker Johnson Campaigns With Tennessee GOP Congressional Candidate Matt Van Epps

‘The Reputation Of Our State Is On The Line’: GOP Begins Final Push Before Critical House Election

2025 elections

Mike Johnson

In October 2023, the online publication Tennbeat published an interview with newly elected Tennessee state representative Aftyn Behn.
The <a href="https://www.tennbeat.com/p/meet-the-aoc-of-tennessee-aftyn-behn">piece</a>, which calls the leftist lawmaker &#8220;the AOC of Tennessee,&#8221; charts Behn&#8217;s rise from University of Texas psychology student to &#8220;progressive community organizer.&#8221; Behn told Tennbeat that &#8220;during her senior year at the University of Texas, she interned at the Arc of Texas, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of persons with disabilities.&#8221;
The piece notes that Behn &#8220;developed talking points on disability policies for the state legislature&#8221; during that internship, giving her an early taste of political life that led her to spend the summer after graduation <a href="https://www.tennbeat.com/p/meet-the-aoc-of-tennessee-aftyn-behn">canvassing</a> for Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX). 
Since launching her campaign to replace retired congressman Mark Green, Behn has tried to distance herself from some of the positions she held early in her career. The lawmaker, who faces Republican Matt Van Epps on Tuesday, has sought to position herself as an average Nashville girl. Her record suggests otherwise.
Let&#8217;s start with Nashville, the majority of which lies in the district Behn would represent if she wins.
“I hate the city,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.aftynforcongress.com/">self-described</a> &#8220;pissed off social worker&#8221; said on a 2020 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/music-city-fumble-dem-candidate-said-she-hates-city-she-wants-to-represent-in-congress">podcast appearance</a>. &#8220;I hate the bachelorette, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country. But I hate it.”
Behn attempted to walk her comments back after the video resurfaced earlier this month, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AftynBehn4TN/videos/no-i-do-not-hate-the-city-i-represent-the-national-gops-new-attack-that-i-hate-n/762714846811103/">posting a video</a> titled &#8220;BREAKING: I DO NOT HATE NASHVILLE LOL.&#8221; It&#8217;s unclear whether Behn&#8217;s attempt to laugh the whole thing off was effective, however, because she was quickly hit with a succession of new scandals.
Behn deleted a social media post calling on all white people to get behind abolishing prisons, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-democrat-aftyn-behn-repeatedly-advocated-for-prison-abolition?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Tennessee+Democrat+Aftyn+Behn+Also+Wants+To+Abolish+Prisons">reported</a> this week.
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“On this Juneteenth, we need less white folks posting Canva graphics and more adopting prison abolition as a political foundation,” Behn wrote just over a year ago, which is now archived on the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240619153246/https:/twitter.com/AftynBehn/status/1803450863240757499" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wayback Machine</a>. Behn also advocated prison abolition in an August 2024 article in <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2024/08/01/candidate-profiles-tennessee-senate-and-house-primary/74623149007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Tennessean</a>, telling the publication, “As a legislator who believes in prison abolition, I am committed to addressing the root causes of crime rather than implementing punitive measures that often perpetuate a cycle of harm.”
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Behn has also faced scrutiny over a 2020 post in which she praised people who support burning down police stations. “Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified,” Behn posted.
Behn declined to address those comments in a recent interview, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-democrat-aftyn-behn-wont-take-back-support-for-burning-down-police-stations?author=Lynden+Blake&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Tennessee+Democrat+Aftyn+Behn+Won%E2%80%99t+Take+Back+Support+For+Burning+Down+Police+Stations">saying</a>, “I’m not gonna engage in cable news talking points.”
Crime and policing are not the only areas where Behn has advocated radical views in the past. She claims that <a href="https://x.com/claytravis/status/1993319674352697755?s=42">men can give birth</a> and said that the murder of six children by a transgender-identifying gunman at the Covenant School in Tennessee made her more sympathetic to &#8220;trans communities&#8221; and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-aftyn-behn-said-covenant-shooting-made-her-fearful-for-trans-communities">inspired</a> her to &#8220;fight the far-right narrative that is being emanated by Matt Walsh and The Daily Wire.&#8221;
Those political positions may put Behn out of step with the state she&#8217;s running to represent. But they&#8217;re not shocking coming from a woman who says she got into politics after “immers[ing] herself in Austin’s Black Lives Matter movement&#8221; and who once consulted with the United Nations on a portfolio that included LGBT refugees.
With less than a week left before the special election, Behn may wish her radical past would stay in the past. But the revelations keep coming, often accompanied by video. One clip that resurfaced this week <a href="https://x.com/NicoleMSilverio/status/1993011789400097130?s=20">showed Behn crying</a> after being forcibly removed from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee&#8217;s office during a 2019 protest. And in another clip making the rounds this week, Behn reveals what she dreams about: power.
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 “My therapist always asks me to transcribe my dreams when they happen,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-dem-candidate-aftyn-behn-i-dont-want-children-i-want-power">Behn says in the clip</a>. &#8220;And the recurring dream I’ve had is standing up in a cafeteria full of women — I don’t know why I was there or whatever — and saying, ‘I don’t want children. I want power!’ And just screaming it at the top of my lungs.&#8221;
Update: Dec. 3: 4:00 p.m.: An earlier version of this story noted that Arc of Texas told The Daily Wire “We have no record of an intern with the name Aftyn Behn.&#8221; After this story was published, another Arc of Texas employee reached out to The Daily Wire to say that Behn had in fact interned with the group, and that their comment was based on inaccurate records. Arc of Texas recanted and apologized for its original statement, and we have amended the piece to reflect this new information. The Behn campaign never responded to a request for comment on this story.

Aftyn Behn Keeps Revising Her Resume. We Set The Record Straight.

Defund The Police

The Covenant School

Transgender

Tennessee Democratic congressional candidate Aftyn Behn deflected when asked whether she supports abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during an interview with CNN on Sunday.
“I&#8217;ve got 48 hours to flip this congressional district, and have been dogged about the message of affordability, and that&#8217;s not what I&#8217;m hearing in the district,” Behn, a state representative, said before switching topic to rural healthcare.
Behn is running in Tuesday’s special election in the state’s Seventh Congressional District against Republican Matt Van Epps. Rep. Mark Green’s (R) resignation in July created the vacancy that this special election will fill. President Donald Trump and Green both won the district with roughly 60% of the vote in 2024.
CNN’s Manu Raju outright asked her whether ICE should be abolished, noting that it’s a stance Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has, who is expected to campaign with Behn in a tele-rally on Monday, according to the outlet.
Behn was also asked whether ICE should cease its operations in Nashville, parts of which she represents in the state legislature. The Democrat said she’s been hearing from people in her district, particularly the Hispanic community, that they are concerned about “the overreach of our federal government.”
In a May video, the Democrat said, “We’ve got our girl squad, and we’re bullying the ICE vehicles and State Troopers,” which has since been used in advertisements against Behn.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-democrat-aftyn-behn-repeatedly-advocated-for-prison-abolition?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Tennessee+Democrat+Aftyn+Behn+Also+Wants+To+Abolish+Prisons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported that she’s made previous comments that were highly critical of law enforcement and also called for abolishing prisons multiple times.
“On this Juneteenth, we need less white folks posting Canva graphics and more adopting prison abolition as a political foundation,” Behn said in a deleted post from last year.
“No, I do not agree with these ‘tough-on-crime’ policies,” she told <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2024/08/01/candidate-profiles-tennessee-senate-and-house-primary/74623149007/?gnt-cfr=1&amp;gca-cat=p&amp;gca-uir=true&amp;gca-epti=z114837d00----v114837b0054xxd005465&amp;gca-ft=181&amp;gca-ds=sophi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Tennessean</a> in August 2024. “As a legislator who believes in prison abolition, I am committed to addressing the root causes of crime rather than implementing punitive measures that often perpetuate a cycle of harm.&#8221;
In 2020, Behn posted on social media, &#8220;Good morning, especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified,&#8221; which has led to scrutiny throughout the campaign.
“I’m not gonna engage in cable news talking points,” Behn told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-democrat-aftyn-behn-wont-take-back-support-for-burning-down-police-stations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Now</a> when asked if she still agreed with her comments made at the time.
Behn has had Vice President Kamala Harris and other major Democrats campaign for her. Van Epps held a rally with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Monday, and Trump called in to make his case for the Republican.
“Number one, she hates Christianity,” Trump said on the call to the audience. “Number two, she hates Country Music. How the HELL can you elect a person like that?!”
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Tennessee Democrat Aftyn Behn Won’t Say Whether She Supports Abolishing ICE

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

President Donald Trump laid into a radical left congressional candidate from Tennessee on Sunday, blasting Democrat Aftyn Behn as &#8220;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.&#8221;
Trump delivered the verbal smackdown in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115640171509477265">Truth Social post</a> — in which he also threw his full support behind her opponent, Republican Matt Van Epps — over a viral audio clip in which she&#8217;d declared her hatred for Nashville, bachelorettes, and even country music. His post comes just ahead of the special election in Tennessee&#8217;s 7th Congressional District on Tuesday.
&#8220;I am asking all America First Patriots in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, who haven’t voted yet, to please GET OUT AND VOTE on Election Day, Tuesday, December 2nd, for a phenomenal Candidate, Matt Van Epps,&#8221; Trump&#8217;s post began. &#8220;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. She said all of these things precisely, and without question — IT’S ON TAPE!&#8221;
Trump warned voters that they needed to get to the polls, adding, &#8220;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, Matt Van Epps! You can win this Election for Matt. GET OUT AND VOTE FOR MATT VAN EPPS, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!&#8221;
Behn raised eyebrows with her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/embattled-tennessee-dem-aftyn-behn-offers-proof-she-doesnt-hate-nashville">anti-Nashville</a> rant: &#8220;‘I hate the city, I hate the Tennessee bachelorettes, I hate pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all the things that make Nashville … I hate it.&#8221;
She tried to do a little damage control after the audio clip went viral, claiming on the &#8220;Breaking Points&#8221; podcast that she could not possibly hate country music.
&#8220;So, I’m going to say something I haven’t said,” Behn told the hosts. “And I think it’s funny, I hope my parents don’t kill me, but I do not hate country music. I was conceived after a George Strait concert, so … I feel personally attacked.&#8221;
Behn also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-dem-candidate-aftyn-behn-i-dont-want-children-i-want-power">made headlines</a> with another audio clip of herself describing a recurring dream in which she stood up in a crowded cafeteria full of women and shouted, &#8220;I don&#8217;t want children, I want power!&#8221;

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Meets With Donald Trump At The White House

Trump Mocks Tennessee Radical Aftyn Behn Over Nashville Hate: ‘IT’S ON TAPE’

Trump Mocks Tennessee Radical Aftyn Behn Over Nashville Hate: 'IT'S ON TAPE'

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