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What congressional seat is contested in the December 2 2025 special election?
Executive Summary
The contested seat in the December 2, 2025 special election is Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, a vacancy created when Representative Mark Green resigned; the special election to fill that seat is widely reported for December 2, 2025 [1] [2] [3] [4]. Multiple contemporaneous summaries and district-specific pages list candidates including Aftyn Behn (D) and Matt Van Epps (R) along with several independents; the reporting consistently ties this special election to the 7th district rather than other open seats flagged in 2025 [5] [2] [6].
1. Claims on the Table — Who's Saying What and How Strong the Consensus Is
The core claim across the compiled analyses is uniform: the December 2, 2025 special election concerns Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Three independent summaries explicitly state that district [1] [2] [4], and a broader 2025 elections summary also lists the seat and ties it to the resignation of GOP Representative Mark Green on July 20, 2025 [3]. The strongest corroboration comes from district-focused reporting that names the date and the candidate slate, which is consistent across sources dated from October through December 2025 [5] [2]. This unanimity across multiple source types—district pages, election overviews, and candidate reports—constitutes a clear consensus that Tennessee’s 7th is the seat at issue.
2. Timeline and Vacancy Context — Why Was the Seat Open and When Was the Election Set?
The vacancy arose after Representative Mark Green resigned, with sources placing his resignation on July 20, 2025; election authorities and election trackers subsequently scheduled a special election for December 2, 2025 to fill the remainder of the term [2] [3]. Official calendars and special-election compilations list a late-2025 date for the Tennessee 7th contest and show nomination and filing activity concentrated in the autumn of 2025 [5] [6]. The chronology—resignation mid-2025 followed by a December special election—explains the compressed campaign window and aligns with the procedural practice of states setting off-cycle dates to fill House vacancies, as reflected in these contemporaneous records [2] [3].
3. Who’s Running and What the Ballot Looks Like — Candidates Named in Coverage
Contemporary reporting identifies Aftyn Behn (Democrat) and Matt Van Epps (Republican) as the leading named party candidates for the Tennessee 7th special election, with multiple independent candidates also listed on the special-election ballot in documentation from late October through December 2025 [5] [2]. Candidate lists and previews emphasize that the partisan tilt of the district, historical results, and the compressed schedule shape both campaign strategy and outside interest; several summaries note that the vacancy and the December date attracted attention beyond Tennessee because special elections can briefly change House arithmetic or signal political trends [5] [2]. The candidate slate is consistently reported across district and national overviews, reinforcing identification of the 7th as the seat in contention [1] [2].
4. Conflicting Signals — Not All Special-Election Reporting Is About Tennessee 7, So Be Cautious
Some election trackers and compilations list multiple special elections in 2025, and at least one source references other districts such as Texas’ 18th in relation to special-election activity earlier in the cycle, which can create confusion if summaries are read out of context [7] [6]. A Florida or state-level special-election calendar may enumerate a range of contests with different dates; one division-level briefing explicitly notes various state legislative and two U.S. House special elections, though not all entries match the December 2 date, which suggests the need to distinguish the Tennessee 7th contest from other 2025 special elections [8] [6]. Cross-checking date, district number, and the named incumbent vacancy is essential because similar language across reports can conflate separate races [2] [3].
5. Verdict and Practical Next Steps — What This Means for Verification and Readers
The preponderance of sources identifies Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District as the seat contested on December 2, 2025, with consistent naming of the vacancy, the date, and principal candidates; these facts are supported by district-specific pages, election overviews, and candidate reports from October through December 2025 [1] [5] [2] [3]. Given the occasional cross-reporting about other special elections in 2025, readers seeking absolute confirmation should consult official Tennessee state election pages or the Secretary of State’s calendar for an authoritative ballot schedule and certified candidate list. For purposes of clarity and reporting, treat Tennessee’s 7th as the December 2, 2025 special-election seat unless an official update from Tennessee election authorities indicates otherwise [2] [3].