US President Donald Trump's pick, Matt Van Epps, has won the Tennessee House race after beating the Democrat challenger in a congressional special election.
The Republican candidate won a closely watched special election in Tennessee on Tuesday, December 2, after leaving behind Aftyn Behn.
The Associated Press declared Van Epps winner of the election at 9:47 EST, with 54% of the vote compared to 45% for his opponent.
Van Epps stated, “This race was bigger than just one campaign. It represented a defining moment for Tennessee and for the direction of the country… Running from Trump is how you lose. Running with Trump is how you win.”
“Our victory was powered by a movement of Tennesseans that are ready for change. We are grateful to the President for his unwavering support that charted this movement and catapulted us to victory. President Trump was all-in with us. That made the difference. In Congress, I’ll be all-in with him,” he added.
It is worth noting that western Nashville suburbs are deep-red areas that have never voted for Democrats since 1980, reported Al Jazeera.
Donald Trump won the district by 15 points in 2020 and 22 points in 2024, and the previous Republican representative, Mark Green, won by over 20 points in 2024 and 2022 and over 40 points in 2020.
Furthermore, US president Trump congratulated “MAGA warrior” Van Epps on his victory and called it “another great night” for the Republican Party.
