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Sen. Marsha Blackburn made the point plain on Fox News: “This is a Republican district. Republicans will show up,” and she’s betting on Matt Van Epps to hold the line for conservatives. Her confidence wasn’t empty rhetoric — Blackburn was on the air to rally voters and remind Tennessee what’s at stake in this special election.
The contest pits Republican Matt Van Epps against Democrat Aftyn Behn in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, a seat long held by conservatives and one that President Trump carried by a wide margin just last year. This race was never supposed to be a toss-up, but Democrats smelled blood and poured resources into a high-profile challenge.
Alarm bells rang when pollsters started showing a surprisingly close race: recent surveys put Van Epps and Behn within a handful of points, prompting Inside Elections to move the race from “safe” to “lean” Republican. Those poll numbers are a wake-up call for Republicans — not a time for complacency, but proof that organized Democratic money and messaging can keep even deep-red districts competitive when conservatives don’t bother to vote.
The stakes go beyond one seat: commentators and party strategists will parse this outcome for signs about the strength of the Trump coalition and whether Republicans can be trusted to protect the House majority. If Republicans let this slip, the media will declare it a mandate for left-wing policies and spend months crowing about a “changing electorate.” That narrative is why conservatives must turn out and make their voices heard at the ballot box.
Aftyn Behn’s public posture — from dismissing parts of Music City culture to being labeled by opponents as the “AOC of Tennessee” — makes clear she’s not the moderate the district needs. Democrats are backing a candidate who’s out of step with local values, and conservative voters should see this race for what it is: a coordinated national effort to flip a red seat by any means necessary.
Republicans aren’t helpless here; Blackburn’s message is a practical one — organize, show up, and vote. Local activists, church networks, and everyday patriots need to mobilize now, because special elections reward the side with the best turnout operation and the firmest resolve to defend American traditions. Do your duty for the country and the community; elections are won one precinct at a time.
If conservatives want to keep their representatives who actually stand for border security, low taxes, and common-sense values, they can’t take this for granted. The next few days are a test of whether Republican voters in Tennessee will answer the call — and whether the GOP will remember that winning also requires fighting like you mean it.
