Democrats are hopeful that they can flip a solidly Republican congressional district Tuesday on a message of making health care, energy and other needs more affordable.
Republican Matt Van Epps is favored to easily win the special election in Tennessee’s 7th District, following former Rep. Mark Green’s (R) resignation last year.
The former commissioner of Tennessee’s Department of General Services has the backing of conservative figures like House Speaker Mike Johnson (R) and President Donald Trump, who called into a rally Monday to push attendees to vote for Van Epps.
But Aftyn Behn, a Democratic state representative, has been buoyed by recent developments like Democratic victories in last month’s elections in New Jersey, Virginia and Georgia. An Emerson College poll last week had her at 46 percent to Van Epps’ 48 percent.
As with other recent elections, the cost of living has been a major issue in the race, including double-digit percentage increases many households have seen in electricity bills.
Van Epps said he’s committed to bringing down costs, but deferred to Trump on specific ways to do so in a recent interview with Nashville’s NewsChannel 5.
“There’s a whole lot of things we’ve got to work on simultaneously — driving down the cost of living, increasing our economy, decreasing inflation — are all incredibly important, and will be a priority from Day 1,” he said.
Van Epps told Clarksville Now in an interview that he supports all forms of energy, but specifically wants to boost nuclear power, saying the country needs about 500 more generating units.
“It really is about unleashing all American energy and having those diverse, different energy sources,” he said.
Behn’s affordability focus has been on health care, promising to push for renewal of health insurance subsidies and to undo recent Medicaid changes. She’s made utility costs part of her campaign, too.
“What I am hearing about is that grocery costs are high, utility bills are high, rent is high. And there’s no end in sight. And so my message has been one to lower costs,” she told CNN.
She’s promised specifically to fight any attempts to privatize the Tennessee Valley Authority, and accused Van Epps of supporting the idea, though he has not said he backs it.
Trump expressed support previously for privatizing TVA, and his moves to exert more control over the federally owned utility have raised alarms among its supporters. Private ownership would increase utility rates, Behn argues.
“Let me be super clear: A vote for my opponent is a vote to raise your utility rates,” Behn said in a social media video. “I’m fighting to keep public power in public hands, protecting affordable energy and putting people — not the profit seekers, not the billionaire boys’ club — in the driver’s seat.”
