Republican Matt Van Epps told Newsmax that unusually close polling ahead of Tuesday's special election in Tennessee's 7th Congressional District stems from the election's timing and rising voter awareness of Democrat Aftyn Behn's record and public statements.
Van Epps told Newsmax's "Finnerty" on Monday that an Emerson College poll shows him leading by just 2 points, even though President Donald Trump carried the district by 22 points in 2024.
But he said the numbers don't fully capture the race.
"We think we're a little bit ahead of that," Van Epps said. "This is a special election right after Thanksgiving, and those dynamics just make it a little different than the normal race."
The election is to fill the seat vacated by the resignation of Republican Rep. Mark Green in July.
Van Epps, who has been endorsed by Trump, said the contest tightened early partly because many voters were unfamiliar with Behn, a Nashville-area Democrat state representative whose resurfaced comments have drawn scrutiny.
In widely circulated clips, Behn reportedly said she "hates" Nashville and its tourist culture, and social media posts showed her support for dissolving the Nashville Police Department and praising a 2020 poll suggesting some Americans found burning down a police station justified.
Behn has since declined to directly defend the posts, saying she would not "engage in cable news talking points."
More recently, Behn said "men and women who can give birth" should leverage childbearing as "collective bargaining," remarks criticized by conservatives.
Van Epps said those statements sharply contrast with the district's values.
"She wants to defund police. She wants to abolish prisons," he said, also citing Behn being endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America and her endorsement of Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor.
"The distinction here could not be more clear."
He said the other major factor contributing to a tighter-than-expected race is voter awareness.
Still, Van Epps projected confidence, pointing to a full day of campaigning with House Speaker Mike Johnson and a tele-rally with Trump.
He said that if he wins, regardless of the final margin, Republicans will remain positioned for strong gains in the 2026 midterm elections.
"We're going to carry that forward as a new leader in Congress to work to ensure we have huge margins in 2026 and we keep the House majority," he said.
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