What congressional seat is up for the December 2 2025 special election?
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
The special election scheduled for December 2, 2025, is to fill the vacant U.S. House seat for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, a vacancy created when Republican Rep. Mark Green resigned on July 20, 2025 [1] [2]. State officials set the date after primaries and candidate filing deadlines concluded; major media and reference sites — Wikipedia and Ballotpedia — list December 2, 2025, as the special general election date for TN-07 [1] [2] [3].
1. What seat is up — plain and direct
The December 2, 2025 special election is for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives [1] [2]. Multiple independent trackers and encyclopedic resources consistently identify TN-07 as the contest scheduled for that date [1] [3].
2. Why the vacancy exists — the proximate cause
The seat became vacant after Rep. Mark Green (R) resigned on July 20, 2025, prompting the need for a special election to fill the remainder of the 119th Congress term [1] [2]. Sources report Green’s resignation and the subsequent scheduling actions by Tennessee officials [1] [4].
3. Who’s running and the political context
Ballotpedia lists Democrat Aftyn Behn, Republican Matt Van Epps, and several independent candidates as participants in the December 2 special election, framing the race as a traditional urban-versus-rural contest in a historically Republican district [2]. Wikipedia’s coverage notes primary results: Van Epps and Behn won their respective primaries on October 7, 2025 [1].
4. Why the date matters — timing and turnout implications
Holding the special general on December 2 places the contest late in the calendar year — after the November 4, 2025 statewide and municipal elections in many states — which can reduce turnout compared with typical November elections and concentrate political attention on a single federal vacancy [3]. Governor Bill Lee reportedly anticipated the December 2 date, according to reporting compiled in election overviews [4].
5. How parties and media framed the race
Coverage cited by Fox News and Ballotpedia highlights competitive elements and campaign flashpoints: Fox noted law-enforcement and social-media controversies involving the GOP candidate and characterized the race as one Democrats hope to use to chip at Republican margins nationally, while Ballotpedia described the contest as a "classic conservative-liberal battle" that pits urban Nashville precincts against a largely red outside region [5] [2].
6. Broader 2025 special-election landscape for context
The Tennessee contest is one of several special House elections in 2025; other special elections that year included Florida seats on April 1, a Virginia special on September 9, an Arizona special on September 23, a Texas special on November 4, and the Tennessee special on December 2, according to aggregated election timelines [6] [3]. This cluster of off-cycle contests has repeatedly shifted the House’s slim margins and national attention [4].
7. Limitations and what sources don’t say
Available sources do not mention final certified vote totals or the eventual winner of the December 2 contest (not found in current reporting). The materials provided also do not include in-depth polling numbers for the December 2 election beyond qualitative descriptions of competitiveness (not found in current reporting).
8. Competing perspectives and implicit agendas
Sources show competing narratives: Ballotpedia and local reporting emphasize district-level dynamics and organization [2], while national outlets frame special elections as proxy fights over control of the U.S. House and party momentum [5] [3]. Readers should note that partisan outlets may emphasize national implications to mobilize donors and voters, while local outlets stress ground-game and community issues; both frames appear in the cited reporting [5] [2].
9. What to watch next
Monitor certified results and AP or local election-office reporting after December 2 for the official outcome; AP and other outlets maintain live result trackers for special elections and will show whether the seat changes party hands and how that affects House arithmetic [7]. For procedural details and fundraising windows tied to the special election, consult FEC guidance on special-election reporting and activity periods [8].
Sources referenced above: Wikipedia (Tennessee’s 7th special election and 2025 election pages) [1] [4] [3], Ballotpedia (TN-07 special election) [2] [6], national outlets including Fox News and NBC/CNN trackers [5] [9], AP results hub [7], and FEC special-election guidance [8].