Glenn Reynolds previewed yesterday special election to fill the seat vacated by Republican Mark Green in Tennessee’s Seventh Congressional District. Dems dreamed of picking the seat off in a district that President Trump carried by 22 points. Republicans feared major embarrassment and additional headaches for House Speaker Mike Johnson if the Republican candidate lost the race.
Matt Van Eps was the Republican candidate. He was endorsed by Trump and wasn’t a bad candidate. Democrat Aftyn Behn was the Democratic candidate. Personally attractive, she herself was otherwise something of an embarrassment. She “hates” the city of Nashville, called Tennessee a racist state, and is none too fond of country music to boot. The Washington Free Beacon has more on Behn here.
In the event, Van Epps defeated Behn by nine points. Glenn Reynolds observed that the reconfigured district leans Republican by 10 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.”
It appears that, after the panic and the investment in his race, Van Epps performed about as well as one might reasonably have hoped in an off-year election. His victory does not portend a glorious future in next year’s midterm elections, but by itself it appears not to signal a meltdown either. In any event, the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races provide sufficient fodder for concern.
After Aftyn Behn — what? Behn is a member of the Tennessee General Assembly. She gives her background as “Community Organizer” and “Licensed Social Worker.” We would never have guessed. She will return to her work in the Tenessee state legislature and continue to dream of a better future.
