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Observations on Republican Matt Van Epps defeating Democratic rival Aftyn Behn in Tuesday’s particular election to signify Tennessee’s seventh Congressional District:
Flipping seats in particular elections for Home seats is tough.
The get together difficult the seat generally makes a race of it. That usually alerts a weak point within the get together in energy and even the president as you strategy the subsequent election.
Democrats got here shut in a number of particular elections in 2017, however didn’t win any. There have actually solely been 4 main “flips” in Home particular elections previously 18 years.
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Republican Matt Van Epps (left) secured the win over Democratic rival Aftyn Behn (proper) within the extremely contested race for Tennessee’s seventh Congressional District. (Brett Carlsen/Getty Photographs (left); George Walker IV/AP Photograph (proper))
Ought to Democrats have run a average? Behn was progressive. A centrist could have received a district like this primarily based on Abigail Spanberger profitable the Virginia gubernatorial race.
Van Epps’ win could encourage different Republicans to give up.
The Home majority shall be 220-214, however some Republicans are itching to depart. They could assume there’s sufficient of a cushion, despite the fact that Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene departs in January.
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Reasonable Republicans could take a look at this race and demand on the get together addressing healthcare, seeing a aggressive race as in a district with a plus-20 in favor of the GOP.
Reasonable Republicans in California, New York and elsewhere needs to be nervous within the midterms contemplating the Democratic power on this race.
Dems flipped the Home in 2018 after coming shut in a number of particular elections.
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The Van Epps win underscores the purpose that gerrymandering/redistricting works.

Republican nominee Matt Van Epps delivers a victory speech after profitable a particular congressional election in Tennessee’s seventh District, on Dec. 2, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox Information)
Tennessee Republicans drew former Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper, and some other Democrat, out of a Nashville space district just a few years in the past.
The GOP trifurcated Nashville and the suburbs, diluting the Democratic vote amongst a number of GOP districts, which helped the GOP win Tuesday night time.
Chad Pergram at the moment serves as Chief Congressional Correspondent for FOX Information Channel (FNC). He joined the community in September 2007 and is predicated out of Washington, D.C.