The Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee’s November poll highlights deepening political polarization between Republican and Democratic voters in the Volunteer State.
President Donald Trump endorsed Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) for re-election on Saturday.
Tennessee U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) said he would “love” the opportunity to serve in the U.S. Senate if appointed by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), should she win the 2026 gubernatorial election.
Burchett, who has endorsed Blackburn in the gubernatorial race and previously expressed interest in succeeding her in the Senate, said his approach in the U.S. Senate would be direct and action-oriented, unlike some politicians who, he said, talk about forming “study committees” and accomplish little.
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.
U.S. Army veteran and former Lee administration official Matt Van Epps has been projected as the winner of the Republican special primary for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Decision Desk HQ called the race just 27 minutes after polls closed.
At 8:30 p.m., less than two hours after polls closed, unofficial election results published by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office showed Van Epps with 15,389 votes, followed by State Representative Jody Barrett (R-Dickson) with 8,370 votes, and State Representative Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) with 3,684 votes.
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) condemned the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) surveillance of her and seven other Republican senators, calling it illegal and unprecedented.
On Monday, Fox News first reported that former Special Counsel Jack Smith was allegedly tracking the private communications and phone calls of Blackburn and seven other Republican U.S. senators as part of his “Arctic Frost” investigation into the January 6, 2021, Capitol protest.
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