Matt Van Epps, a former commissioner in Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's administration, won a crowded Republican primary Tuesday in the special election to replace a GOP congressman who left office this summer. In the Democratic primary, state Rep. Aftyn Behn won a four-way contest and will face Van Epps in the general election.
- Van Epps clinched the victory with an endorsement from President Trump that came after in-person early voting ended. Eleven Republicans were on the ballot for the seat vacated by former US Rep. Mark Green. Among them, two candidates, including state Rep. Lee Reeves, suspended their campaigns after Trump weighed in, and they likewise endorsed Van Epps, the AP reports. NBC News reports that all the Republicans in the race expressed support for Trump's policies and they spent months fighting about who was the most pro-Trump.