Live: Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District Primary Election Results

Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District Primaries

(All 14 Counties Reporting — Tennessee Secretary of State)

Republican Primary

Candidate	Votes	% of Vote
✅ Matt Van Epps	19,001	51.6%
Jody Barrett	9,335	25.3%
Gino Bulso	4,004	10.9%
Lee Reeves	1,929	5.2%
Mason Foley	1,022	2.8%
Stewart Parks	595	1.6%
Jason D. Knight	381	1.0%
Stuart Cooper	239	0.6%
Tres Wittum	133	0.4%
Joe Leurs	122	0.3%
Adolph Agbeko Dagan	93	0.3%
Total Votes Cast	36,854

✅ Matt Van Epps wins the Republican nomination with a commanding 26-point margin over Jody Barrett. Backed by former President Trump and Governor Bill Lee, Van Epps dominated across Montgomery, Robertson, and Cheatham Counties, consolidating support from the party’s base and establishing himself as the clear frontrunner heading into December’s special election.

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Democratic Primary

Candidate	Votes	% of Vote
✅ Aftyn Behn	8,648	27.9%
Darden Hunter Copeland	7,716	24.9%
Bo Mitchell	7,492	24.2%
Vincent Dixie	7,146	23.0%
Total Votes Cast	31,002

✅ Aftyn Behn wins the Democratic nomination following one of the tightest multi-candidate races in recent Tennessee politics. Her steady performance across Williamson, Montgomery, and Davidson Counties secured a narrow but decisive lead, setting up a general election matchup against Republican Matt Van Epps on December 2, 2025.

Live Updates

9:12 p.m. CT — Both Primaries Called, General Election Matchup Set in TN-7
TNPOLITICO has officially called both party primaries in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Matt Van Epps has secured the Republican nomination with a commanding lead across Montgomery, Robertson, and Cheatham Counties, while Aftyn Behn has won the Democratic nomination following a narrow but steady lead over Darden Copeland and Bo Mitchell as urban and suburban precincts reported.

The results set up a December 2nd special general election between Van Epps — a Republican veteran backed by former President Trump and Governor Bill Lee — and Behn, a progressive organizer emphasizing youth turnout and grassroots energy. With both fields now settled, the focus shifts to a compressed seven-week general election campaign that will test turnout across Middle Tennessee’s 14-county district.

8:56 p.m. CT — Behn Expands Lead as More Counties Report in Tight Democratic Contest
With 5 of 14 counties now fully reporting, Aftyn Behn has widened her lead in the Democratic primary for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Behn currently stands at 7,921 votes (≈28%), followed by Bo Mitchell with 6,888 (≈24%), Darden Hunter Copeland with 6,711 (≈24%), and Vincent Dixie close behind at 6,501 (≈23%).

Behn continues to benefit from strong showings in Williamson, Montgomery, and Davidson Counties, where turnout has been highest. Mitchell and Copeland remain virtually tied for second, buoyed by their respective bases in Dickson and rural western counties. Dixie maintains a solid presence from early support in Davidson, though his share has slightly declined as more precincts report from outside Nashville.

The race remains extremely competitive, but Behn’s growing edge in the state’s population centers has begun to establish her as the clear frontrunner heading into the final 9 counties still reporting.

8:22 p.m. CT — Four-Way Democratic Battle Tightens as Davidson and Williamson Drive Turnout
The Democratic primary in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District remains one of the tightest contests in the state tonight, with Aftyn Behn, Bo Mitchell, Darden Hunter Copeland, and Vincent Dixie all within striking distance of one another.

Districtwide totals now show Behn narrowly ahead as large portions of Davidson and Williamson Counties continue to report, while Mitchell maintains strong support across his Middle Tennessee base of Dickson, Cheatham, and Hickman. Copeland remains highly competitive thanks to consistent returns in smaller western counties, and Dixie continues to hold a sizable share of the vote out of Davidson County, where he still leads all candidates locally.

Turnout remains uneven across the district, and with no county yet fully reporting, the race is far too close to call. Urban and suburban precincts — particularly the remaining portions of Davidson, Montgomery, and Williamson — are expected to determine the final outcome.

8:04 p.m. CT — Democratic Race Remains Tight as Urban Votes Still Outstanding
The Democratic primary for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District remains too close to call, with Bo Mitchell and Aftyn Behn separated by only a few hundred votes across the district. Mitchell continues to perform strongly in his home base of Dickson, Cheatham, and Hickman Counties, while Behn holds competitive margins in Montgomery and Williamson and is expected to gain ground as Davidson County’s Election Day totals are released later tonight.

Vincent Dixie’s early-vote surge in Davidson gave him a temporary boost, but it now appears to have plateaued as new totals from outside Nashville come in. Darden Hunter Copeland remains a steady fourth, with scattered rural strength but no major breakthroughs.

Based on pre-election patterns, Mitchell’s rural strength is largely baked in, while Behn’s best path to overtaking him lies in the yet-to-report urban and suburban precincts. With much of Nashville still outstanding, this contest remains a genuine toss-up.

7:52 p.m. CT — Behn and Mitchell Locked in Tight Democratic Contest
The Democratic primary in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District has tightened considerably as additional early and partial Election Day results come in. Aftyn Behn and Bo Mitchell are now effectively neck and neck districtwide, separated by fewer than 150 votes across all reporting counties.

Behn maintains strength in Montgomery and Williamson Counties, while Mitchell continues to lead in Dickson, Cheatham, and Hickman, his home region. Vincent Dixie’s large early-vote total in Davidson County has boosted him into a competitive third, while Darden Hunter Copeland remains close behind, performing well in smaller rural counties.

With the district’s largest counties still reporting additional precincts, the Democratic nomination remains too close to call. Turnout in Davidson County—which has yet to post any in-person Election Day totals—could ultimately decide the race.

7:44 p.m. CT — Van Epps Clinches GOP Nomination in TN-7
Decision Desk HQ has projected Matt Van Epps as the winner of the Republican primary for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Early-vote returns from all major counties show Van Epps holding a commanding lead of more than 20 points districtwide, driven by overwhelming margins in Montgomery County—his home base—along with strong showings in Robertson and Cheatham Counties.

With much of the early vote already tabulated and no remaining counties large enough to close the gap, the call effectively confirms Van Epps as the Republican nominee heading into December’s special general election. Jody Barrett, who led in his home county of Dickson, trails well behind, followed by Gino Bulso and Lee Reeves.

7:33 p.m. CT — Van Epps Opens Strong Lead as Early Votes Roll In Across TN-7 GOP Primary
Early-vote results from major counties show Matt Van Epps establishing a clear early advantage in the Republican primary for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. With early totals now reported from Montgomery, Williamson, Robertson, Dickson, and several smaller western counties, Van Epps leads district-wide with roughly 6,151 votes (≈43%), followed by Jody Barrett 3,240 (≈23%), Gino Bulso 2,105 (≈15%), and Lee Reeves 1,409 (≈10%). All other candidates are currently below 2 percent.

Van Epps is showing decisive margins in Montgomery County (2,696 votes) and solid showings in Robertson and Cheatham, while Barrett dominates in Dickson and Hickman, his home territory. Bulso and Reeves trail but remain competitive in their respective bases, particularly Williamson County. These numbers represent primarily early votes—no Election Day precincts have yet reported—but with large counties already posting totals, Van Epps begins the night in a commanding position.

7:26 p.m. CT — Behn Surges Ahead as Key Counties Report Early Votes
The first major wave of early votes across the 7th District shows Aftyn Behn taking a slight overall lead in the Democratic primary as large counties begin reporting. Districtwide early totals now stand at approximately Behn 2,452, Mitchell 2,828, Copeland 2,663, and Dixie 1,123, with Behn buoyed by strong early showings in Montgomery (1,058 votes) and Williamson (897 votes).

Bo Mitchell continues to perform well in his western Middle Tennessee base—leading in Dickson, Cheatham, and Hickman Counties—while Copeland is posting competitive numbers in smaller rural areas and Robertson County. Vincent Dixie trails across all reporting counties so far.

No Election Day precincts have reported yet, but with the bulk of early vote now released from several major counties, the race appears to be consolidating around Behn, Mitchell, and Copeland as the top tier of Democratic contenders.

7:14 p.m. CT — Early Democratic Totals Show Mitchell Ahead in Western Counties
Initial early-vote results from several smaller western counties — including Cheatham, Dickson, Houston, Perry, Stewart, and Wayne — show Bo Mitchell with an early lead in the Democratic primary. Across these counties, Mitchell has about 1,039 votes, followed by Darden Hunter Copeland with roughly 651, Aftyn Behn with about 520, and Vincent Dixie trailing at 104. These totals represent early ballots only, with no precincts yet fully reporting same-day votes. The counties reporting so far are smaller and largely rural; none of the major population centers — particularly Davidson, Montgomery, or Williamson Counties, where Behn is expected to perform strongest — have released results. For now, the early snapshot indicates Mitchell’s name recognition and regional base producing a modest early edge, though the bulk of the Democratic vote remains uncounted.

7:09 p.m. CT — Early Votes Begin to Shape the First Picture in TN-7 GOP Primary
With early vote totals now reported from several smaller western counties — including Cheatham, Dickson, Houston, Perry, and Wayne — the first district-wide numbers show Jody Barrett narrowly leading Matt Van Epps in the initial count. Across these early-reporting counties, Barrett has approximately 1,934 votes, compared to Van Epps with about 1,546. Gino Bulso follows in third with roughly 563 votes, while Lee Reeves sits at about 240. No results have yet come in from the major population centers of Montgomery, Williamson, or Davidson Counties, which together will determine the bulk of the total vote. These early returns reflect partial early-vote batches and represent only a small fraction of the district’s overall ballots, but they hint at a competitive early phase between Barrett and Van Epps.

6:12 p.m. CT — What to Expect from Tonight’s Count
Early in-person votes will post first just after polls close at 7:00 p.m. CT and could represent roughly half of all ballots cast. Expect big initial totals, followed by steady uploads from Election Day precincts over the next 1–3 hours. Absentee by-mail ballots are a small share and are processed by bipartisan boards; they usually report after early and day-of. All counties use machine tabulation (optical scanners/ballot-marking devices), so counting is fast—hand counts are for audits/recounts. As a rule of thumb, a double-digit early-vote lead (≈15–20 points) with major counties partly in often points to a decisive result; truly close races may not be “call-safe” until 70–85% of the total vote is reported.

5:37 p.m. CT — Low Turnout and Voter Confusion Reported in Davidson County
Reports from The Tennessean describe quiet polling locations across Nashville, with light foot traffic at Pearl-Cohn High School in North Nashville and FiftyForward Knowles in Wedgewood-Houston. As of the end of early voting, only 8,652 ballots had been cast in Davidson County—less than 7.5% of eligible voters. Election Administrator Jeff Roberts told The Tennessean the day had been “smooth but slow,” with the main issue being voter confusion about whether residents live in the 7th Congressional District. Overcast skies and intermittent rain may have further depressed same-day turnout, a potential challenge for Democratic candidates relying on younger and urban voters.
Reported Issues: Confusion has also arisen in Metro Nashville Council District 7, where some residents mistakenly believed they were eligible to vote in the 7th Congressional District primary. Council Member Emily Benedict addressed this via email clarification at 5:12 p.m. CT, noting that only those residing within the 7th Congressional District are eligible to participate.