Tuesday is a big day for Tennessee, and for the closely divided US House of Representatives.
Democrats have been vowing to turn red states blue, and last month’s elections gave them some hopeful signs, thanks largely to revved-up urban voters.
This week a special election in Tennessee’s 7th District, pitting GOP military veteran Matt Van Epps against far-left candidate Aftyn Behn, will show them just how far their base can take them.
Going by conventional wisdom, this should be a walkover for Van Epps: The district leans Republican by 10 percentage points, and Van Epps’ policy positions echo those of the previous incumbent, former Rep. Mark Green, who resigned in July to launch a new business.
But redistricting in 2020 made the 7th somewhat less rural than it had been, as statehouse Republicans tried to boost the party’s chances elsewhere.
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