Which political office triggered the December 2025 special election?

1. What office produced the December special election — a clear, single answer

The special election set for December 2, 2025 is for the U.S. House seat representing Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, a vacancy created when incumbent Representative Mark Green resigned on July 20, 2025; state reporting and election compilations show the governor has anticipated a December general special election to fill that seat ^{[1] [2]}.

2. How the vacancy came about — immediate trigger and official timing

According to reporting summarized in election overviews, Mark Green’s resignation on July 20, 2025 created the vacancy in Tennessee’s 7th District; Governor Bill Lee (reported in the same summary) stated he anticipates the general election to take place on December 2, 2025, which is the date many trackers list for the special election ^{[1] [2]}.

3. Independent confirmations and calendar entries

Ballotpedia’s roll-up of special elections to the 119th Congress explicitly lists “Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District on December 2, 2025” among upcoming special elections, aligning with Wikipedia’s summary that the Tennessee special election will be held on December 2 ^{[2] [3]}. Local reporting about the race — for example coverage of the contest between Republican-endorsed Matt Van Epps and Democrat Aftyn Behn — treats December as the off-cycle, low-turnout special election month for that seat ^[4].

4. Who’s running and why parties care (context from the reporting)

National Democrats have been deploying resources to the Tennessee 7th race and consider it a winnable special because special elections typically have lower turnout and because recent Democratic performances have encouraged investment; the Nashville Banner notes the DNC’s operational and funding support targeted at mobilizing voters for Aftyn Behn in December ^[4]. Ballotpedia and election trackers similarly flag the contest as one of several special elections that could affect the House during the 119th Congress ^[2].

5. Broader pattern — how special elections are scheduled and why December is used

Special U.S. House elections are set by state governors after a vacancy; timelines vary by state statute and by each governor’s call. Election compendia for 2025 record several special elections scattered through the year and list Tennessee’s 7th as a December contest, reflecting Tennessee’s scheduling after the mid-summer vacancy ^{[3] [2]}. The use of off-cycle dates like December often leads to lower turnout, which parties view strategically ^[4].

6. What the sources do and do not say — limits of the available reporting

Available sources explicitly tie the December special election date to Tennessee’s 7th District vacancy and cite Mark Green’s resignation and the governor’s expected December date ^{[1] [2]}. The provided materials do not include the official governor’s proclamation text or the certified election call document, nor do they give the final certified results for the December contest (not found in current reporting).

7. Competing frames and potential political implications

Coverage frames the race two ways: Democrats present it as a competitive opportunity to flip a historically Republican seat through concentrated national resources and low-turnout dynamics ^[4]; Republican-aligned reporting and campaign statements emphasize the district’s substantial GOP baseline and historical margins favoring Republicans ^[4]. Election databases simply catalog the contest as one of several special elections affecting House composition ^{[2] [3]}.

If you want, I can pull the exact language from Tennessee’s state election calendar or the governor’s call (if available) to reproduce the official date and statutory citation; current search results above do not include the governor’s formal proclamation text (not found in current reporting).