Image Credit: TN Secretary of State, @MattForTN / X & @aftynfortn / X
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
The Tennessee District 7 special election to replace Congressman Mark Green is attracting national attention, not just from media outlets, but from outside PACs and dark money organizations trying to secure a Congressional seat for their preferred candidate by pushing dollars into the district.
October’s special primary attracted millions of dollars from out-of-state dark money organizations, most on the Republican side aimed at propping up Matt Van Epps and campaigning against current State Representative Jody Barrett.
But just because the primaries are over doesn’t mean the money flow has stopped from either side of the political aisle as a liberal PAC based in Delaware is using a spoiler strategy to sway the race in favor of Democrat Aftyn Behn while a MAGA PAC is spending to buoy Republican Van Epps.
According to documents obtained by the Daily Caller, a liberal/Democratic super PAC called Your Community is working to boost independent candidate John Thorp in an attempt to split the Republican voter base. The PAC released a poll conducted by Impact Research at the end of October showing a 52% – 44% split, with Behn trailing Van Epps by only eight points.
The report says that even if Van Epps wins the seat, “Behn looks poised to overperform and add to the narrative that Democrats will be able to compete everywhere in 2026.” They also put the 8% gap within the margin of error if voter turnout mirrors other recent special elections, noting that 83% of Tennessee Democrats are “extremely motivated” while only 71% of Republicans were in that same category.
Their advice to close the gap is to prop up independent candidate John Thorp by highlighting him as a more conservative choice than Van Epps, a strategy they estimate could ultimately boost Thorp from receiving 1% of the vote to 9%, just enough for Behn to squeak into victory.
Your Community was quick to act on that proposed strategy, creating and distributing a mailer comparing the candidates, calling Thorp a “Conservative Independent” and Van Epps a “Hedge Fund Billionaire-Backed RINO”. They also released a television ad against Van Epps, echoing the mailer’s depiction of him as a “Hedge Fund Puppet”.
The PAC is reportedly connected to the Sixteen Thirty Fund, whose donors include nonprofits tied to George Soros, and the North Fund, which operates as an umbrella group for various left-wing advocacy organizations and was labeled by The Atlantic as the “mothership” of Democratic dark money.
Some in the Republican/conservative sphere are also questioning Thorp’s portrayal as an independent conservative, noting his campaign website was built by NTXGEN Agency, which on its homepage says the company is “passionate about championing causes that matter, from racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights to climate action and gender equity.”
Across the aisle, super PAC MAGA Inc. has spent more than $15,000 calling voters to shore up support for Van Epps, marking the first time this PAC has spent money on any race this term. MAGA Inc. is supposedly the top outside group aligned with President Trump’s political operation and has many high-level donors, including Elon Musk who contributed $5,000,000 to the fund in June of this year.
Analysts speculate that the PAC’s involvement signals an attempt to energize the reportedly lackluster Republican base as Democrats build momentum, especially given election victories earlier in the month in other states. And while he does not direct the group’s spending, President Trump is also eyeing the race, deeming it important enough to host a tele-rally with Van Epps last week and reiterate his last-minute endorsement from the primary.
Overall, Democrats seem to be working toward capitalizing on low turnout and splitting the vote while Republicans appear to be heavily relying on the Presidential nod and endorsement of other Tennessee politicians like Andy Ogles, Tim Burchett, Marsha Blackburn, and numerous state House and Senate members as TN-7 is seen by many as a reliably red district.
Early voting began Nov. 12 and will continue until Nov. 26, with results currently showing 25,320 people have voted. The general election will be decided Dec. 2.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
4 Responses
Hmmmmm, trying to defeat conservatives by getting them to split their vote two ways. Sounds like a good strategy to me.
Next year we are electing a governor and the question will be will conservatives defeat themselves by mindlessly splitting their vote THREE ways.
We’d be WAAY better off if Marsha pharma dropped out somehow.
Isaiah 3:12
As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
No money from outside the city/county/state that race position is for. FULL STOP……………………..
We should be VERY concerned about Aftyn Behn. She is a flat out anti-American communist. Many do not know that before she was elected to the TN Assembly she was the leader of TN Indivisible. A leftist extremist organization. Their goal is to turn TN blue. The people in TN 7 that do not want to send another communist to DC better make sure they get out and vote. The left wants her elected and they will do whatever it takes to make that happen. The patriots in TN 7 need to make the election too big to rig.