Democratic
Darden Copeland
Major-party general-election nominee.
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Tennessee District 7 election, 2026
Darden Copeland vs. Matt Van Epps on a newly enacted 2026 district map. Today's article: every forecast for this race →
VotePredictor forecast
Matt Van Epps favored
Safe R · predicted margin R+15.6
99%
chance to win
2024 presidential margin
R+22.72026 national environment
D+8.0District polls
noneForecast spread
±6.6 pointsMargin from the district's presidential lean on its 2026 lines, one fitted intercept and the national environment as a uniform swing; the win probability adds a decaying incumbency premium (Republican incumbent running). No district poll is blended in.
Republican
Matt Van Epps
Incumbent representative for TN-7. Voting record, ideology and biography →
Other listed candidates
- Andrew Koontz · Independent
- Lowell Reynolds · Independent
Polls
No district-level 2026 general-election poll is currently in VotePredictor's verified polling feed for TN-7. The forecast above is the model alone: lean, incumbency and the national environment.
Campaign money
FEC reports through October 14, 2026Matt Van EppsREP · incumbent$2.6M raised
Spent $2.3MCash on hand $358kDebts $45k16% from donors under $200
Top contributors, industries and states
Contributors
- TEAM VAN EPPS$81k
- GIDEON, CECILE A.$15k
- BEAMAN, JULIE H.$14k
- BEAMAN, LEE$14k
- CRABBE, JOHN P.$14k
Industries
- Retired$325k
- Self-Employed & Freelance$131k
- Homemaker$79k
- Finance, Insurance & Real Estate$75k
- Not Reported$53k
States
- TN$1.1M
- FL$52k
- VA$46k
- TX$41k
- CA$34k
Darden CopelandDEM$1.3M raised
Spent $1.2MCash on hand $74kDebts $165k14% from donors under $200Self-funded $392k
Top contributors, industries and states
Contributors
- COPELAND, DARDEN$292k
- PATTON, SCOTT$8k
- COOPER, JOHN$7k
- DOWSLEY, COLE$7k
- FREEMAN, DAVID$7k
Industries
- Unemployed$103k
- Self-Employed & Freelance$27k
- Legal & Professional Services$13k
- Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals$8k
- Retired$7k
States
- TN$229k
- NY$16k
- CA$16k
- VA$13k
- MA$11k
Andrew KoontzIND$5k raised
Spent $130Cash on hand $5kDebts $5k0% from donors under $200Self-funded $5k
What each candidate's own campaign committees reported for the 2025–26 cycle; outside spending by PACs and parties is not included. Industries are classified from donors' reported employers. The House forecast's win probability reads the two nominees' shares of individual contributions shown here, a small term that never moves the predicted margin. Data: GovMoneyGraph, based on FEC records.
Other forecasts
We have not yet ingested a district rating from these independent forecasters for TN-7; links go to their current national House ratings. Missing is shown as missing—not converted into a probability.
Past results
Every election in Tennessee's 7th district we hold a result for. District numbers are reused across redistricting, so older rows may cover different ground than the seat does today.
YearWinnerMargin
Candidate news
Congressional Trading Report: Rep. Matt Van Epps Sold Over $27K In Tapestry Stock
A report on June 17, 2026 shows that Representative Matt Van Epps from Tennessee sale stock in Tapestry (NYSE:TPR), valued between $27,013 and $230,000. According to the June filing, the transaction occurred on June 16, 2026. At the time of writing, Tapestry …
Biztoc.com · June 18, 2026
Republicans' bad win in Tennessee bodes ill for the midterms (The Hill)
The Hill: Republicans' bad win in Tennessee bodes ill for the midterms — If ever there was a “bad win” in politics, it was Republicans' victory in last Tuesday's special House election in Tennessee's 7th district. — Indeed, Republican Matt Van Epps beat D…
Memeorandum.com · December 8, 2025
WATCH: Johnson holds ceremonial swearing-in for Tennessee Rep.-Elect Matt Van Epps
Van Epps promised to work to enact President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda and said voters “didn’t send me here to just give a speech. They sent me here to deliver, and that is exactly what I intend to do."
Biztoc.com · December 4, 2025
Why 2026 should terrify Republicans after Tennessee special election
This week's Tennessee special election shows Republican Matt Van Epps narrowly defeated Democrat Aftyn Behn in a Trump +20 district. That is a red alert that the GOP is in trouble.
Fox News · December 4, 2025
Candidate field source: 2026 House election roster ↗