Aaron Gulbransen with the Tennessee Conservatives Coalition is warning that Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District special election is far more than a local race—it’s a national “bellwether” that could determine whether Republicans retain control of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026.
In Tuesday’s special primary, Republican Matt Van Epps won the party’s nomination with 19,001 votes (52 percent). Democratic candidate Aftyn Behn won her party’s nomination with 8,648 votes (28 percent).
According to Gulbransen, a victory by Behn, who has been branded as the “AOC of Tennessee,” in the December 2 general election would signal a dangerous shift in momentum toward the left and energize Democrats nationwide heading into the 2026 midterms.
“Quite frankly, if Aftyn manages to win this thing, then the bellwether is as follows: Republicans lose the House next year,” Gulbransen said on Thursday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.
Gulbransen and host Leahy emphasized that Behn is a well-organized, well-funded progressive threat, and cautioned that national left-wing groups are likely to pour millions into her campaign seeking to flip the traditionally Republican seat during the off-year election.
They went on to point out how early voting numbers, which showed near-equal turnout between Democrats and Republicans, should be seen as a red flag for Republicans, further highlighting a motivated Democratic base.
“That means the Democrats are energized,” Leahy said.
Gulbransen agreed, adding, “If Aftyn wins, the Democrats will be so much more energized around the country.”
Gulbransen went on to stress that Republicans must unify quickly behind GOP nominee Matt Van Epps, calling on former Republican primary candidates to issue “full-throated” endorsements. Anything less, he said, risks splitting the vote and allowing Behn to win.
“There’s a responsibility from every candidate who ran…to give a full throated endorsement and tell other people to vote [for Van Epps]. They need to do it. It’s incumbent upon them. This is what you do when you run for public office,” he said.
Looking ahead to the December 2 general election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District and beyond, Gulbransen issued a warning to Republican voters, saying that the consequences of sitting out the special election go far beyond Tennessee, pointing directly to the possibility of another Trump impeachment if Democrats flip the seat and go on to reclaim the House in 2026.
“If you have any remote affection to Donald Trump…you have to understand one thing. This entire election is about one simple principle here: If the Democrats gain control of the U.S. House of Representatives, they want to impeach the president, and they don’t want to stop impeaching the president,” Gulbransen stressed.
“They’ve already done it twice, they’re going to do it again…And Aftyn Behn will gleefully do this. So if you have any remote affection for the president of the United States, you need to go out and vote for Matt Van Epps,” he added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Image “Aaron Gulbransen” by The Michael Patrick Leahy Show and “Matt Van Epps” is by Matt Van Epps.
