Matt Van Epps, a Trump-endorsed former state official, and Aftyn Behn, a Democratic state representative from Nashville, won crowded primaries on Tuesday for a special congressional election in Tennessee, according to The Associated Press.
In all, 19 people had entered the race in the state’s Seventh Congressional District, which stretches from Tennessee’s border with Kentucky to its border with Alabama. Mark Green, a Republican, gave up the seat in July to start a business.
The candidates included veteran state legislators, political newcomers and a man pardoned by President Trump for his role in the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Mr. Van Epps is likely to have the advantage in the general election. The district leans Republican, and Mr. Green won re-election in 2024 with nearly 60 percent of the vote.
Mr. Van Epps, an Army veteran and a former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services, got a boost late last week when Mr. Trump endorsed him as a champion for the administration’s agenda.
Ms. Behn, a progressive organizer, does not live in the district, but as a member of the General Assembly, she represents parts of Nashville that are in it. She edged out two other state representatives from Nashville.
Mr. Green’s abrupt departure from Congress three months ago led to a condensed primary cycle. There was little public polling, and little time for candidates to introduce themselves.
Turnout for early voting was exceedingly low, with a little more than 36,000 people across 14 counties — just a fraction of the electorate — having cast ballots by the time it ended on Oct. 2.
While the legislature’s Republican supermajority split Nashville into three districts in 2022 to eliminate a safely Democratic seat, some Democrats believe that an energized liberal turnout could eventually edge out the conservative advantage in at least one of the three.
On the Republican side of the ballot, state lawmakers and first-time candidates had jockeyed to be seen as the most loyal Trump ally, with the most authentic conservative pedigree.
Mr. Van Epps also won endorsements from Gov. Bill Lee and Mr. Green, who held the seat for more than six years.
“I stand for conservative values, and that’s what I’m going to take forward,” Mr. Van Epps said on the final day of early voting last week after greeting volunteers outside a polling place in Clarksville. He added, “We’ve worked really hard to build name ID and presence.”
His toughest opposition had come from two state representatives who jumped into the race, Jody Barrett and Gino Bulso. A third, Lee Reeves, dropped out after Mr. Van Epps received Mr. Trump’s endorsement, though his name remained on the ballot.
Another Republican candidate was Stewart Parks, whom Mr. Trump pardoned in January for participating in the 2021 riot at the Capitol. Mr. Parks had been convicted on charges of trespassing and theft.
In addition to Ms. Behn, the Democratic candidates included two other state representatives, Vincent Dixie and Bo Mitchell, and Darden Copeland, a businessman who has poured thousands of dollars of his own money into the campaign.
All three Democratic lawmakers worked to raise turnout from Nashville and the surrounding area, at times sparring over whose experiences could best galvanize their base at a moment when the national party is torn over how best to appeal to voters.
In an interview before the election, Ms. Behn framed her candidacy in part as an outlet for frustrated, disillusioned women and young voters.
“I have spent the last 10 years building up my skill sets, training myself to be able to lead in this moment,” she said. “And I am ready.”
The general election for the seat is set for Dec. 2.
Emily Cochrane is a national reporter for The Times covering the American South, based in Nashville.
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