5 takeaways from Tennessee's competitive special election
Elections,Tennessee,Matt Van Epps,Republican Party
From the Center
AllSides Media Bias Rating: Center
Republican Matt Van Epps (R) won a special election on Tuesday in Tennessee in what was seen as a likely bellwether for next year's midterms.
Van Epps defeated state Rep. Aftyn Behn (D) for a Nashville-area House seat that went for President Trump by over 20 points last year. According to voting data on Tuesday night, he won the seat by roughly 9 points, raising alarm bells for some in the GOP who fear the surprising competitiveness of the race could be a bad omen for next year.
Check for Bias
The AI-powered AllSides Bias Checker instantly reveals the bias of a news article. Tap the button to use.
Related Coverage
AllSides Picks
Headline Roundup
Progressive Abdul El-Sayed Wins Tight Michigan Democratic Senate Primary
August 5th, 2026
Headline Roundup
Elon Musk Reportedly Reviving America PAC Ahead of Midterm Elections
July 30th, 2026
Recommended Reading
When Trump and the Democrats Scare Their Supporters
Dan Schnur
July 20th, 2026
The Insight
The Insight: How Bias and Hypocrisy Skew Sexual Assault Cases in Politics
AllSides Staff
July 10th, 2026