NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Money is pouring into Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District race from all directions, with new campaign finance filings revealing a surge of outside spending that’s transforming what might have been a sleepy December special election into a nationally watched contest.
MAGA Inc., Club for Growth Action, Indivisible Action and Your Community PAC have all filed new expenditure reports in recent days, detailing expenditures on television ads, digital campaigns, billboards and direct mail. The spending comes as both major candidates released their latest fundraising numbers, painting sharply different pictures of how this race is being funded.
Republican Matt Van Epps raised more than half a million dollars in the most recent period, much of it from political action committees and GOP-aligned groups that have consolidated behind him after a contentious primary. He’s spending heavily on advertising, consulting and voter outreach across the district’s 14 counties.
Democrat Aftyn Behn, meanwhile, raised more than $1 million — a staggering sum for a Democratic candidate in a Republican district — almost entirely from individual donors giving online. She enters the final stretch with more cash on hand than Van Epps, an unusual position for a Tennessee Democrat.
The ramped up outside spending has coincided with early voting. MAGA Inc., a super PAC tied to President Trump, is running television, radio and digital ads backing Van Epps and attacking Behn. Club for Growth Action has also chipped in to support Van Epps with new advertising.
Democratic groups are spending less overall but have launched billboard campaigns through Indivisible Action and digital ads from other progressive organizations. Your Community PAC filed a separate report showing it’s spending on digital messaging and mail opposing Van Epps while promoting independent candidate Jon Thorp. Thorp says he has no connection to the effort, but the group is clearly working to elevate his profile.
Because groups can file spending notices daily, tracking the full scope of outside money in real time is nearly impossible. What’s clear is that both parties see this race as more than a routine special election.
For Republicans, it’s a chance to show organizational strength in a district they’ve held for years. For Democrats, Behn’s grassroots fundraising offers a test of whether national energy can make a dent in a conservative stronghold. And for outside players, Thorp’s presence creates another way to influence turnout in what’s expected to be a low-participation election.
Voters will see the spending play out most visibly in ads on television, social media and in their mailboxes. Unlike the campaigns themselves, outside groups can craft their own messages without coordination, often emphasizing national political themes over local concerns.
Early voting continues through Nov. 26 with new disclosures expected daily.
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