Sen. Marsha Blackburn didn’t mince words on Fox News when she warned Democrats that this is a Republican district and “Republicans will show up” — a blunt, unapologetic reminder that conservative voters in Tennessee still take their civic duty seriously and won’t surrender ground to coastal progressives. Blackburn’s confidence is the kind of clear-eyed conservatism voters expect from a leader who has stood with Tennessee values for years.
The special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District is set for December 2, 2025, to fill the seat vacated by Rep. Mark Green, and it’s no accident that national Democrats have flooded the zone with cash and talking points. What once was a reliably red district — where President Trump carried the area by a wide margin and conservative incumbents routinely won handily — has suddenly drawn an outsized amount of attention because the left smells an opportunity.
Polls show the race is tighter than it should be in such a conservative corner of the Volunteer State, with the Emerson College numbers putting Matt Van Epps narrowly ahead of Aftyn Behn by a razor-thin margin. Inside Elections’ shift and the increased ad spending are caution flags, not evidence that the conservative majority has vanished — they’re proof that Democrats will exploit every off-cycle election to manufacture momentum. Conservative voters must treat this like a test of their resolve.
Make no mistake: this contest matters far beyond Nashville and Clarksville. Political operatives on both sides admit the result could affect the razor-thin House majority and the GOP’s ability to shepherd conservative priorities through Congress without drama. That’s why Blackburn and other Republican leaders are sounding the alarm — and why grassroots turnout in a district like this could be the difference between governing and gridlock.
Democrats are trying to nationalize the race by elevating a candidate who has already made controversial, tone-deaf comments about Nashville, and the media is doing its predictable part to amplify the noise. Conservatives should be furious that national left-wing money is propelling a candidate whose attitudes toward Middle Tennessee culture and values are out of step with the hardworking people who keep this region thriving. Local conservatives need to expose that disconnect and turn it into votes at the polls.
This is a moment for ordinary Americans who believe in lower taxes, secure borders, parental rights, and respect for faith and tradition to step up. Blackburn’s message is more than TV talking points — it’s a call to arms for every believer in common-sense governance to show up on December 2 and send a clear message that Tennessee won’t be turned into a petri dish for progressive experiments. If Republicans mobilize like Blackburn expects, Matt Van Epps will win and conservative momentum will be preserved for the voters who put him there.
