See Tennessee election results in high-stakes race for District 7 seat

It’s Election Day in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. On Dec. 2, Tennesseans will vote to fill a vacant U.S. House seat long held by Republicans.

The critical race, which has drawn national attention, will see Republican nominee Matt Van Epps and Democratic nominee Aftyn Behn face off in the general election as both parties vie for momentum ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

Tennessee’s 7th District race, the final showdown of 2025, carries high stakes with Republicans holding only a razor-thin majority in the U.S. House.

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A Behn victory would flip the deep-red seat for the first time in more than four decades, while a Republican win would reaffirm the party’s grip on reliably red territory, breaking a building wave of Democrat victories, the Tennessean reported.

Here’s everything to know as voting gets underway.

How to view election results

You may follow the election here and on The Tennessean’s live election blog, updated regularly throughout the day. Results will also be posted to the GoVoteTN app from the Tennessee Secretary of State.

When do polls close in the Tennessee special election?

All polls close at 7 p.m. local time. However, eligible voters in line by the time the polls close are still able to vote.

Eligible voters must be U.S. citizens, residents of Tennessee, and at least 18 years old on or before Election Day.

Where is Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District? What voting district am I in?

Only eligible voters who live in U.S. House District 7 — which includes parts of Middle and West Tennessee — may vote in the Dec. 2 election.

The 7th District spans all or parts of 14 counties, and includes Clarksville, parts of North and West Nashville, Dickson, south and western Williamson County, and stretches down to the Alabama border.

If you live in one of these counties you can vote: Cheatham, Decatur, Dickson, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Montgomery, Perry, Robertson, Stewart and Wayne.

You may be able to vote if you live in one of these counties: Davidson, Williamson and Benton. You may search your congressional district online at GoVoteTN.gov.

What documentation is necessary to vote?

All voters are required to show a federal or Tennessee state ID with their name and photo when voting, either during early voting or on Election Day, unless an exemption applies.

Any of the following IDs may be used, even if expired:

Tennessee driver license with your photo
United States passport
Photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security
Photo ID issued by the federal or Tennessee state government
United States Military photo ID
Tennessee handgun carry permit with your photo

If you are voting for the first time and registered either by mail or through Tennessee’s Online Voter Registration system, and your ID is expired, you must also present one of the following:

A copy of a current utility bill
Bank statement
Government check
Paycheck or other government document that shows the voter’s name and address

The following IDs are not accepted:

College student IDs
Photo IDs not issued by the federal or Tennessee state government are unacceptable. This includes county or city issued photo IDs, such as library cards, and photo IDs issued by other states.

The following people are exempt:

Voters who vote absentee by mail
Voters who are residents of a licensed nursing home or assisted living center and who vote at the facility
Hospitalized voters
Voters with a religious objection to being photographed
Voters who are indigent and unable to obtain a photo ID without paying a fee

Where do I vote?

According to the Tennessee Secretary of State, the simplest way to find your nearest polling location is through the GoVoteTN app.

Is it too late to register to vote in this election?

Yes, it’s too late to vote in the December general election. You can register to vote in next year’s congressional and gubernatorial primaries by visiting the Secretary of State’s website, or any County Clerk’s office.

Can I still request an absentee ballot in Tennessee?

No, the last day to request an absentee ballot for the Dec. 2 general election was Saturday, Nov. 22.

Who is on the ballot?

Van Epps and Behn are the Republican and Democratic candidates, respectively. Also on the ballot are Teresa “Terri” Christie, Bobby Dodge, Robert James Sutherby, and Jon Thorp, all running as independents.

What to know about Democrat candidate Aftyn Behn?

Behn is a longtime political organizer seeking to flip Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District.

Raised by working-class parents in Knoxville, she earned a graduate degree in social work, and then spent nearly a decade organizing across Middle Tennessee, advocating for Medicaid expansion, fighting rural hospital closures, and seeking to lower the cost of living and build a more inclusive democracy.

Behn was elected in 2023 to represent a state House district. Since then, she has sponsored legislation to repeal Tennessee’s 4% grocery tax, change corporate tax rules, restore abortion access, and reform how the legislature handles sexual assault complaints.

Behn’s campaign has focused on affordability and basic government functionality. Her campaign slogan is to “feed kids, fix roads and fund hospitals.”

What to know about Republican candidate Matt Van Epps?

As previously reported by the Tennessean, Van Epps grew up in an affluent suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, and moved to Tennessee after a 10-year military career in the U.S. Army.

He has worked in the Veterans Services and Transportation departments and led the Department of General Services. He also helped shape Tennessee’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, strategizing ways to get residents vaccinated.

He first moved to Nashville just over a decade ago.

Van Epps has said he wants to run for Congress to make the country better for the next generation. He supports healthcare reform, improving services for veterans and President Donald Trump’s political agenda.

“We cannot let the president down in this election,” Van Epps said on a tele-rally with Trump on the eve of the primary. “Vote to defend America’s freedom, safety and way of life. We must stand united with President Trump against the radical left who are determined to destroy all we hold dear.”

Election poll shows early voters favor Behn, Election Day crowd backs Van Epps

A Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey shows how Tennessean voters are leaning.

Early voters favor Behn 56% to 42%, while those planning to vote on Election Day lean toward Van Epps 51% to 39%. According to the Tennessee Secretary of State, 84,356 people participated in early voting through Nov. 26.

Behn’s strongest support comes from voters under 40, with 64% backing her, while Van Epps gains more support among older voters, reaching 61% among those over 70.

There is also a clear gender divide. Men favor Van Epps 51% to 42%, while women favor Behn 50% to 44%. Both candidates have identical ratings among voters, 47% favorable and 41% unfavorable.

The gender divide extends to candidate favorability. Women are 54% more likely to view Behn positively compared to 41% of men, while men are 52% more likely to view Van Epps positively compared to 42% of women.

The economy is the top issue for 38% of voters, followed by housing affordability (15%), healthcare (13%), threats to democracy (13%), immigration (6%), crime (5%), and education (5%). Among those who rank the economy as their top concern, 48% support Van Epps and 44% support Behn.

Contributing: Vivian Jones, USA TODAY

Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for the Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X at @_leyvadiana

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: See Tennessee election results in high-stakes race for District 7 seat