Tennessee 7th District race 2026: Epps vs. Copeland
General election, November 3, 2026 · U.S. House in Tennessee’s 7th District. Incumbent Matt Van Epps (R) — won the special 53.90% over Aftyn Behn; nearly half the district new after the May 2026 map
Matt Van Epps
Tennessee’s 7th District congressman since December 2025: a West Point-trained Army special-operations pilot and former state commissioner seeking a full term.
Read the documented profile of Matt Van EppsDarden Copeland
American businessman; founder and CEO of Calvert Street Group, a Nashville public affairs firm; 2026 Democratic nominee for U.S. House from Tennessee’s 7th congressional district
The general-election field as the board records it: Van Epps (R) vs. Darden Copeland (D; Behn did not run)
The race at a glance
Board data as of . Ratings are the raters' own current calls; polls are the newest public ones with their field dates; money is what the committees reported. Nothing here is a forecast.
- Seat
- Incumbent Matt Van Epps (R) — won the special 53.90% over Aftyn Behn; nearly half the district new after the May 2026 map
- Primary
- : Van Epps unopposed 60,043; D Copeland 16,646 (39.9%) def. Dixie, Holloway
- Ratings
- Cook Solid R (; race page shows a Likely R entry ); Sabato Safe R; IE Solid R
- Newest public polling
- general: NOT FOUND
- Reported money
- FEC : Van Epps $1,982,057 / $135,155 COH
- Notable
- Trump re-endorsed . School Freedom Fund → 'Tennessee Freedom Fund' (non-federal) $4.81M in 2026 (TN-GOV).
Key dates in Tennessee
Read from the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Elections. The full guide, with the official tools, is on the Tennessee page.
- Voter registration deadlineMonday, October 5, 2026, for the November 3, 2026 State and Federal General Election. The Secretary of State's 2026 calendar prints this one date and does not give separate online, mail or in-person cut-offs. To register, use online voter registration, or download and complete the Voter Registration Application and mail it or deliver it by hand to your county election commission; applications can also be picked up in person at county election commission offices, county clerk's offices, public libraries and register of deeds offices. The Secretary of State's FAQ says a person who does not have an ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security cannot register online but can still register by filling out a paper form. sos.tn.gov
- Early voting beginsWednesday, October 14, 2026. The Secretary of State's 2026 calendar gives the early voting period for the November 3, 2026 general election as Wednesday, October 14 – Thursday, October 29, 2026. sos.tn.gov
- Deadline to request an absentee by-mail ballotSaturday, October 24, 2026. The Secretary of State's Guide to Absentee Voting says a registered voter may request an application for a by-mail ballot no earlier than ninety (90) days before the election and no later than ten (10) days before the election, and that, to be processed for the next election, the application must be received by the election commission no later than ten (10) days before the election. This is a received-by deadline for the request. The written request must be submitted, by mail or e-mail, to the local county election commission office by the tenth day before Election Day. sos.tn.gov
- Deadline to return an absentee by-mail ballotElection Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026: you must mail your ballot in time for your county election commission to receive it no later than the close of polls on Election Day. This is a received-by deadline, not a postmark deadline. You must return your ballot by mail (USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.); hand delivery or handing it to a poll worker during early voting or on Election Day is not permitted. sos.tn.gov
- Election DayTuesday, November 3, 2026 (State and Federal General Election). sos.tn.gov
- Polling place hours on Election DayElection Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The Secretary of State's pages reviewed for this guide do not print a statewide opening or closing time. Its FAQ answers the question “When can I vote?” this way: find your early voting and Election Day polling place and hours in the GoVoteTN app. Its Election Day page likewise sends voters to the GoVoteTN lookup (Search by Voter or Search by Address) for their polling location and ballot information. Absentee by-mail ballots must be received no later than the close of polls on Election Day. sos.tn.gov
Voting in Tennessee: dates, rules and official tools
Questions and answers
Who is running for the U.S. House in Tennessee’s 7th District in 2026?
Van Epps (R) vs. Darden Copeland (D; Behn did not run) (as of Sep 15, 2026).
When is the election?
The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Voter registration deadline: Monday, October 5, 2026, for the November 3, 2026 State and Federal General Election. The Secretary of State's 2026 calendar prints this one date and does not give separate online, mail or in-person cut-offs. To register, use online voter registration, or download and complete the Voter Registration Application and mail it or deliver it by hand to your county election commission; applications can also be picked up in person at county election commission offices, county clerk's offices, public libraries and register of deeds offices. The Secretary of State's FAQ says a person who does not have an ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security cannot register online but can still register by filling out a paper form.
How do the raters see this race?
Cook Solid R (Sep 11; race page shows a Likely R entry Dec 3, 2025); Sabato Safe R; IE Solid R (as of Sep 15, 2026).
What do the polls show?
general: NOT FOUND (as of Sep 15, 2026).
How much money has been reported?
FEC Mar 31: Van Epps $1,982,057 / $135,155 COH (as of Sep 15, 2026).