President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson will hold a joint tele-rally Monday night to support Republican Matt Van Epps in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, adding a late burst of national attention to the race.
The decision comes after an Emerson College poll conducted Nov. 22–24 showed Van Epps at 47.5 percent and Democratic nominee Aftyn Behn at 46.0 percent, with 4.6 percent undecided. That single poll has fueled talk of a close race even though the early-vote makeup and district fundamentals reflect the same Republican advantage seen in past cycles.
Outside spending has also intensified in the final stretch. Republican-aligned groups have invested an estimated $1.8 million to $2 million since November 8, led by late-November activity from MAGA Inc., Club for Growth Action and the NRCC.
Democratic organizations have responded with comparable spending. House Majority PAC deployed its full $1 million buy between November 21 and 28, and Your Community PAC added several hundred thousand dollars in targeted mail and digital outreach. Combined, Democratic outside spending over the last three weeks is estimated at roughly $1.5 million to $1.7 million.
With early voting now concluded, a TNPOLITICS NOW analysis of county-level turnout found no signs of a Democratic surge in Davidson or Montgomery counties and no evidence of weakened Republican participation in the rural counties that historically decide TN-7.
The late tele-rally may reflect concern among national Republicans about the possibility of a closer-than-usual finish, especially after high-profile Democratic wins in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City. Although TN-7’s early vote more closely resembles its traditional Republican profile, even a modest tightening on Election Day would give Democrats an opportunity to extend their current momentum. A wider margin, by contrast, would help Republicans push back on that narrative heading into 2026.
Election Day is Tuesday, Dec. 2.
Photo: President Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson in the Oval Office on Nov. 12, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
