What candidates are running in the December 2, 2025 special election and what are their endorsements?
Executive summary
The December 2, 2025 special election referenced in available reporting is Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District special general election between Republican Matt Van Epps and Democrat Aftyn Behn; the election date and that matchup are confirmed by the Tennessee Secretary of State and local press [1] [2]. Reporting and election trackers list Van Epps as the Trump-endorsed Republican who won the GOP special primary and Behn as the Democratic state representative who won her party’s nomination; multiple sources note Van Epps carried endorsements from former President Trump and outgoing Rep. Mark Green [3] [4] [2].
1. Who’s on the December 2 ballot — a two-person general in Tennessee’s 7th
State election materials and local reporting identify the December 2, 2025 special general as the contest to fill Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District; the two major-party nominees on that general ballot are Republican Matt Van Epps and Democrat Aftyn Behn [1] [2]. Ballotpedia’s special-election page compiles the primary season that produced those nominees and lists the special general for Dec. 2 [3].
2. The leading endorsements: Trump and Green for Van Epps
Coverage and election notes make clear that Matt Van Epps carried high-profile Republican endorsements. The Associated Press summary and local reporting state Van Epps was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and by outgoing Rep. Mark Green, a factor repeatedly cited in accounts of his primary victory [4] [3]. Ballotpedia’s page also references the Trump endorsement in its account of the GOP primary and general-election landscape [3].
3. Behn’s profile and Democratic backing — local prominence, not national marquee names
Aftyn Behn is described in reporting as a state representative first elected in a 2023 special election and the Democratic nominee for this Dec. 2 special; local outlets frame her as the Democratic standard-bearer aiming to compete in a district where Republicans hold advantages [4] [2]. Available sources do not list national Democratic leaders or major national endorsements for Behn in the materials provided; Ballotpedia and local reporting emphasize her legislative experience and campaign activity rather than marquee national endorsements [3] [2]. Not found in current reporting: any detailed list of national-level endorsements for Behn.
4. Broader field and primary endorsements that mattered earlier
The Republican primary was crowded; reporting and Ballotpedia note Van Epps defeated multiple GOP contenders to win the October special primary, where endorsements — notably Trump’s and Green’s — were decisive in consolidating conservative support [3] [4]. Ballotpedia’s special-election page chronicles the primary field and references local and state lawmakers’ endorsements for various primary candidates, but the general-election contest narrowed to the two nominees [3].
5. Why endorsements mattered here — context from sources
Local and AP reporting frame this seat as consequential because House control margins were narrow in 2025; both parties invested time and endorsements in special races seen as signals for 2026. Sources name national attention on earlier 2025 special elections and show why a Trump endorsement can be decisive in a Tennessee GOP primary [3] [4]. Ballotpedia underscores national involvement in multiple 2025 special races, implying endorsements function both to persuade voters and to mobilize donors and outside spending [3].
6. What voters and watchers were told to expect on Election Day
State election offices published the Dec. 2 date and voting rules for the District 7 special general (early-vote deadlines and polling arrangements), while local coverage gave practical details (poll hours by county) and framed the race as a straight choice between Van Epps and Behn, with small shares of respondents considering third-party options [1] [2]. The AP decision notes and local reporting also stressed turnout and partisan lean as critical variables in the outcome [4] [2].
7. Limitations, gaps and how sources disagree
Available sources consistently identify the two nominees and the major endorsements for Van Epps (Trump, Green) but do not provide a comprehensive endorsements list for every candidate or for Behn; Ballotpedia and local reporting focus on the headline endorsements and on the primary dynamics rather than cataloguing every organizational endorsement [3] [2]. If you seek a fully enumerated endorsements list (labor unions, local officials, PACs, national figures for Behn), available reporting does not supply that level of detail — not found in current reporting [3] [2].
If you want, I can pull together the specific primary-endorsers documented on Ballotpedia for the Republican field and search for organizational or local endorsements for Behn in these same sources.