#matt-van-epps

#matt-van-epps

President Donald Trump praised Matt Van Epps' electoral victory late Tuesday as Republicans held on to a deep-red Tennessee House seat and fended off progressive state lawmaker Aftyn Behn, whom the president fumed hates Christianity during the race. Van Epps, a former Army helicopter pilot, secured Tennessee's 7th District with barely 54% of the vote, defeating Behn in a district Trump carried by 22 points just last year.

With about 96 percent of votes counted, Van Epps had 53.9 percent, while Behn had 45 percent, according to the AP. This race was bigger than just one campaign, Van Epps said in a statement. It represented a defining moment for Tennessee and for the direction of the country. He also said cost-of-living concerns would be among his top priorities a reflection of the broader focus on those issues in races this year,