With early voting set to begin in less than a month, Tennessee's 7th Congressional District race is entering its final phase. Republican Matt Van Epps, who filled Mark Green's unexpired term after Green resigned his seat, has been in Washington as the U.S. House worked through its session, while Democratic challenger Darden Copeland has spent months appearing at forums and events across the district.
A WZTV report examined the difference in the candidates' public schedules and Van Epps' explanation for his limited campaign presence. Van Epps, a former member of Governor Bill Lee's cabinet, won a special election last year to claim the seat and is now facing Copeland, a Nashville businessman who won the Democratic nomination in a contested primary that included state Rep. Vincent Dixie, according to WPLN News.
A Tightening Race, By One Side's Account
Copeland claims his internal polling shows Van Epps' lead has shrunk to single digits, putting him within striking distance of the incumbent, per the WZTV report. Dakota Galban, chair of the Davidson County Democratic Party, went further, saying Van Epps is not running a campaign, attending events, or speaking to voters. Copeland does face pushback from within his own party, with the same report noting he faces a challenge from the far-left wing of the Democratic Party, and conservative pundit Steve Gill, who questioned Copeland about the campaign challenge, said Copeland's message will come off as moderate. Copeland responded that he will be his own man and go to Washington his own way.
Republicans currently control the Tennessee state House, Senate, and governor's office, and lawmakers used that control to redraw the 7th District in spring 2026 in a way intended to favor the GOP, according to the WZTV report. That redistricting effort followed a broader mid-decade push: the Republican-controlled Tennessee General Assembly redrew the congressional map in May 2026, as reported by WKMS.
Why the District Map Matters
The district's geographic footprint has changed during this election cycle. According to a July 2025 notice from the Tennessee Secretary of State, the 7th District then included 14 counties in Middle and West Tennessee, compared with the eight-county district described in the current campaign. That change is important when readers compare turnout, margins and geographic performance in the December 2025 special election with the 2024 general election: the contests did not necessarily involve the same district boundaries. The Secretary of State notice establishes the earlier 14-county configuration, but it does not itself provide the election-by-election turnout or vote margins.
The District's Shifting Political Math
The District's Shifting Political Math The 7th District spans eight counties across Middle and West Tennessee.
That shifting terrain is part of why last December's special election drew so much national attention. Van Epps won that contest against then-state Rep. Aftyn Behn, according to PBS News. Trump's own super PAC, MAGA Inc., poured more than $1 million into boosting Van Epps in that race — the group's first financial intervention in a campaign following the 2024 presidential election, PBS News reported. Behn opted not to seek the seat again in 2026; Van Epps ran unopposed in the August 6, 2026 Republican primary, according to WPLN News.
Democratic Activists Sense An Opening
Democratic activists see the race as an opportunity to build on the party's performance in last year's special election, even though the district remains solidly Republican on paper. Copeland's strategy has emphasized repeated appearances across the district and a business-oriented profile.
Copeland founded Calvert Street Group, a Nashville-based public affairs firm specializing in land use, renewable energy, affordable housing, and transit initiative campaigns, according to the TBA Law Blog, professional experience he has leaned on as he positions himself as a business-minded alternative to the incumbent.
Van Epps' State Government Record
Before running for Congress, Governor Bill Lee appointed him Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services in September 2024, a post in which he oversaw statewide procurement and facilities operations until stepping down in June 2025 to launch his campaign.
Van Epps is expected to campaign more heavily during roughly the final 45 days before the election, according to WZTV. His campaign is also launching an eight-county tour, with campaign manager Alex Joyner telling Victoria Pierce that Van Epps would visit voters and communities throughout the rest of September.
Key Dates Ahead of November
The clock is ticking on both campaigns' final pushes. Early voting in Tennessee begins October 14, and October 5 is the last day for residents to register in order to vote in November's election. The general election itself falls on November 3, when voters across the 7th District's eight counties will decide whether Van Epps keeps the seat he won in a special election last year or whether Copeland can convert his campaign's visibility into an upset.
The U.S. House adjourned last Wednesday and will not return until after the November election, freeing Van Epps to focus fully on the district for the campaign's closing stretch. Whether that late push, set against Copeland's months of forums and event appearances, is enough to change the outcome remains to be seen once ballots are counted.
