Aftin Behn, who ran for Congress as a Democrat in Tennessee, conceded the election on Tuesday night. However, instead of ending his campaign quietly, he reached out to Republican Matt Van Epps, the newly elected representative, and asked for guidance on his new role.
Van Epps won a special election for Tennessee’s 7th House of Representatives, maintaining a seat that typically favors Republicans and aligns with Donald Trump’s voter base. Rather than just accepting defeat, Behn shared his views on essential matters in Washington, such as the need to protect Obamacare subsidies.
“I spoke with Congressman-elect Matt Van Epps, and he had a fundamental question for me. He will decide future actions. It’s crucial that we don’t allow the Affordable Care Act subsidies to lapse. We must prevent healthcare costs from increasing for working families in Tennessee,” Behn remarked.
Despite his defeat in the Republican-leaning 7th District after an expensive campaign, Behn framed his loss as something of a symbolic win.
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“Republicans have made these districts tough to compete in. They expected us to back off, but we held our ground. We showed up. Our campaign managed to raise $2.8 million, surpassing our opponents. And it wasn’t from wealthy donors; it came from the community—nurses, teachers in Clarksville and Dixon, and even young individuals donating small sums to help us reach our goals,” Behn explained. “We knocked on 70,000 doors, made over 185,000 phone calls, and had numerous face-to-face discussions in various settings. We rallied 1,500 volunteers, executing the largest single-day campaign in years across Tennessee.”
Van Epps, in celebrating his win, took an unexpected approach by acknowledging Trump’s influence in his victory narrative.
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“Moving forward, I want to address my friends in the liberal media and even some members of my own party who tend to panic: tonight proved that if you shy away from Trump, you’re likely to lose. Aligning with him is a clear path to victory. Our success stemmed from Trump’s supporters coming to the polls. The president has assembled the most extensive and diverse coalition of Republicans to date, and we benefited from that. Trump’s support was invaluable,” Van Epps noted. (Related: Republicans hold onto House seats in Tennessee)
The special election was necessitated by the resignation of former Republican Rep. Mark Green in July, just months into his fourth term. This vacancy prompted voters in districts that Trump had won decisively in 2024 to participate in another election later this year.
