NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Republicans will hold onto a GOP-controlled vacant congressional seat in ruby-red Tennessee after winning a hotly contested special election that grabbed plenty of national attention.

Republican nominee Matt Van Epps on Tuesday defeated Democratic rival Aftyn Behn, according to the Associated Press, in the high-stakes race to succeed former GOP Rep. Mark Green, who resigned from office in June to take a private sector job.

Van Epps, after greeting supporters outside a polling station earlier in the day, told Fox News Digital, «We’re getting incredible reports back all across the district with great turnout for us, and that’s how we’re going to carry this forward and win.»

With the GOP clinging to a razor-thin majority in the House, the special election was seen as a must-win for Republicans.

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President Donald Trump carried the 7th Congressional District — which is located in central and western Tennessee, stretches from Kentucky to Alabama, and includes parts of Nashville — by 22 points in last year’s presidential election. And Green won the district by over 20 points in his 2022 and 2024 re-elections.

But Democrats were energized following the 2025 elections, and public opinion surveys suggested a close contest between Van Epps and Behn in a showdown that was seen as a key barometer ahead of next year’s midterm elections, when the GOP will be defending its majority.

WATCH: WHAT AFTYN BEHN TOLD FOX NEWS DIGITAL ON ELECTION EVE

Asked by Fox News Digital if he needed to win the election by a certain margin, Van Epps said, «a win is a win.»

But the military combat veteran and former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services added that «we’re going to press as hard as we can to win by the biggest margin we can, and then we’re going to hold the majority in ’26.»

Behn, a state representative and former healthcare community organizer, who’s been dubbed the «AOC of Tennessee» in a comparison to progressive champion Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, told supporters at a local Democratic Party office in Nashville on Tuesday morning that «whatever happens, win or lose, you’ve inspired a country. You’ve shown people the South has something to say.»

«For me, we’ve already won over the hearts and minds of so many Tennesseans and across the country,» Behn told Fox News Digital minutes later when asked if she’s a winner even without an election victory. «What starts here changes this country.»

And she added, «I think the electorate is shifting to accept a candidate like me that has a progressive track record.»

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With so much on the line, outside groups aligned with both parties shelled out millions of dollars to run ads in the race. And the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the rival Republican National Committee (RNC) each poured resources into the showdown, which included dispatching staffers onto the campaign trail.

House Speaker Mike Johnson spent the entire day on Election Eve with Van Epps, joining the GOP nominee at a slew of rallies and stops across the district. He was joined by RNC chair Joe Gruters.

Republican congressional nominee Matt Van Epps is joined by House Speaker Mike Johnson at an Election Eve rally in Franklin, Tennessee, on Dec. 1, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

«We’re going to win this seat, but we cannot take anything for granted,» Johnson said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

«Special elections are strange because a lot of people take for granted in a deep red district like this that the Republican is just going to win automatically. Nothing’s automatic. So we’re here to help turn out the vote and make sure we get this great candidate right over that line,» Johnson said.

Aiming to motivate low-propensity Trump supporters, who often don’t vote when the president’s not on the ballot, Johnson emphasized that «we need everybody to turn out.»

Before introducing Van Epps at Monday’s first rally, Johnson called Trump on his cell phone, and the president spoke to the crowd for over four minutes.

«Let’s make it a sweeping victory,» Trump said. «The whole world is watching Tennessee right now. And they’re watching your district. The whole world. It’s a big vote. It’s going to show something.  It’s got to show that the Republican Party is stronger than it’s ever been.»

Trump joined Van Epps later in the day for an evening tele rally.

In another sign of the importance of holding the seat, Republican Gov. Bill Lee, GOP Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, as well as Republican members of Congress from Tennessee, state GOP lawmakers and rival candidates who lost to Van Epps in last month’s primary, campaigned with him on Monday.

Behn also enjoyed last-minute support from high-profile surrogates.

Ocasio-Cortez; Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, who chaired the Congressional Progressive Caucus the past four years; Black Voters Matter Fund co-founder LaTosha Brown and former Vice President Al Gore, a Tennessee native, all spoke at an Election Eve virtual rally.

«The reason this race is competitive is because I have been at community gatherings, potlucks, funerals, weddings, with the voters in the seventh district, and they remember that,» Behn told Fox News Digital.

Behn faced repeated attacks that she’s out of step with voters in the district.

«She does not represent the values of Tennessee or of America. She is as far left as you can get. She’s a radical,» Van Epps claimed in his Fox News Digital interview. «We have to reject that ideology. And we’re going to do that tomorrow.»

Johnson argued on Monday that Behn was a «radical» and «a dangerous far leftist. And she will be a rubber stamp for Hakeem Jeffries and AOC and all the radicals in Congress.»

And Trump, repeating comments he made over the weekend on social media, charged that Behn «hates Christianity» and «hates country music.»

Trump was referring to past comments Behn made from a 2020 podcast.

«I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country. But I hate it,» she said in the podcast.

TENNESSEE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE CAUGHT SAYING ‘I HATE NASHVILLE’ AND ‘COUNTRY MUSIC’ IN RESURFACED CLIP

The district is solidly red, but includes parts of the Democratic stronghold of Nashville, Tennessee’s capital and its most populous city, and a major national center for the country music industry. The district encompasses parts of north and west Nashville, including the downtown area which has long been a very popular tourist destination.

Behn, in a CNN interview on Sunday, noted that she was a «private citizen» when she made the comments. «Nashville is my home. Do I roll my eyes at the bachelorette parties and the pedal taverns that are blocking my access to my house? Yeah. Every Nashvillian does. But this race has always been about something bigger. It’s about families across middle Tennessee that are getting crushed by rising prices.»

Democratic congressional nominee Aftyn Behn speaks to supporters at a party office on Election Eve, in Franklin, Tennessee, on Dec. 1, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Republicans also took aim at Behn over an op-ed titled, «Tennessee is a racist state, and so is its legislature,» that appeared in a 2019 edition of The Tennessean newspaper.

The RNC, pointing in a recent social media post to the six-year-old opinion piece, asked, «If Behn hates Tennessee so much, why is she trying to represent it?»

Also resurfacing in recent weeks are anti-police comments Behn made on a now-deleted social media account.

«Clearly, I’m living rent-free in President Trump’s mind,» Behn told supporters on Monday.

And asked by Fox News Digital about the incoming verbal fire from Republicans, Behn joked, «I always love to hear from my fans.»

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She touted that «I have a track record of showing up in the hard fights and small fights in between, not only as an organizer and as an activist, but as a legislator.»

And sticking to her key issue of tackling the high cost of living, Behn said she’s «running on a very simple message of addressing the affordability crisis that Tennesseans are facing, and they [Republicans] don’t have a remedy for it. 

Pope Leo has spoken out about the dangers of military action by the U.S. in overthrowing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and appeared to ask President Trump to prioritize dialogue and diplomatic pressure, according to Vatican reports.

The pontiff’s poignant appeal came as the White House intensified its campaign against Maduro this week, largely because of alleged involvement by his regime in illegal drug trafficking.

«We are trying to find a way to calm the situation, seeking above all the good of the people, because in these situations it is the people who suffer, not the authorities,» Leo told reporters on a flight home from Lebanon Tuesday.

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«The signals coming from the United States change, and so we must see. … On the one hand, it seems there has been a telephone conversation between the two presidents; on the other hand, there is this danger, this possibility, that there could be an action, an operation, including an invasion of Venezuelan territory.»

The pope spoke after the U.S. deployed its largest military presence in the Caribbean, including strikes against vessels suspected of drug trafficking.

This week, according to reports, Trump had delivered an ultimatum to Maduro in a phone call, demanding that he surrender power immediately.

Maduro reportedly refused, insisting instead on a «global amnesty» for himself and his allies.

TRUMP REVEALS MADURO ‘WOULD LIKE TO TALK’ AS MILITARY OPTIONS REMAIN ON THE TABLE FOR VENEZUELA

The U.S. has a large military presence off the coast of Venezuela amid ongoing tensions involving President Donald Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)

«I again believe it is better to seek dialogue within this pressure, including economic pressure, but looking for another way to bring about change if that is what the United States decide to do,» the Pope added.

Speaking to 81 reporters aboard the papal plane, he appeared to express concern about the rising tensions.

Leo, answering a reporter’s question, also said the signals coming from the U.S. administration about its policy toward Venezuela seemed unclear.

POPE LEO XIV STRONGLY SUPPORTS US BISHOPS’ CONDEMNATION OF TRUMP IMMIGRATION RAIDS: ‘EXTREMELY DISRESPECTFUL’

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on Air Force One from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., to Joint Base Andrews Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The 70-year-old Chicago-born pontiff, elected in May after the death of Pope Francis, also used the in-flight news conference to speak about the role of the Holy See, which works «behind the scenes» in peace negotiations so that all parties may lay down arms.

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He also spoke about the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Vatican for comment.

Nicolás Maduro está cada vez más aislado en su enfrentamiento con Donald Trump.

Mientras desde Washington amenazan con ataques terrestres, el gobernante chavista pierde aliados en la región y observa cómo sus socios ideológicos, en especial Rusia, China o Irán, no están dispuestos a involucrarse en un conflicto lejano más allá de su respaldo dialéctico y diplomático. Está solo.

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“Depende de lo que EE.UU esté realmente dispuesto a hacer, pero Rusia no tiene la capacidad ni los recursos para apoyar a Maduro”, dijo a TN el analista Oleg Ignatov, experto en temas rusos del Crisis Group, una ONG internacional especializada en resolución de conflictos.

Fuerzas Armadas, Lula y la oposición demócrata

En ese contexto geopolítico adverso, Maduro tiene tres potenciales aliados.

En primer lugar, busca cerrar filas con las Fuerzas Armadas. El chavismo se mantiene hoy por una estructura político-militar que no acepta grietas y que se mantiene bajo un control absoluto a cualquier disidencia. La represión, según denuncian dirigentes opositores y organismos de derechos humanos, es la otra pata de la silla.

En segundo lugar, Maduro observa con suma atención lo que está pasando en el Congreso estadounidense. El líder demócrata del Senado, Chuck Schumer, dijo que el Capitolio debe prevenir un conflicto militar sin la debida aprobación.

“Si se produce un ataque, forzaremos un debate en el Congreso y una votación para evitar que las tropas estadounidenses participen en hostilidades contra Venezuela”, afirmó.

Los demócratas pueden convertirse así en un aliado impensado para el chavismo.

Pero Maduro también vuelve a mirar hacia su viejo amigo Luiz Lula da Silva, que según la prensa estadounidense fue uno de los que medió con Trump para que accediera a hablar por teléfono con el líder chavista.

Trump y Lula, después de meses de duros enfrentamientos, limaron sus diferencias. No solo llegaron a un acuerdo para bajar aranceles. Este martes hablaron y se declararon listos para cooperar en la lucha contra el combate el crimen organizado internacional, según anunció la presidencia brasileña.

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Lula siempre se declaró dispuesto a mediar con el chavismo. Hoy el gobierno brasileño se muestra como el único capaz de intentar algún tipo de mediación con la Casa Blanca. Gustavo Petro, presidente de Colombia, está fuera de todo. Trump lo tildó de “líder narco”. Su par de México, Claudia Sheinbaum, tiene su propia difícil negociación y relacionamiento con el magnate republicano.

El aislamiento de Maduro es evidente. En los últimos días perdió a otros dos socios regionales: Honduras y San Vicente y las Granadinas. La izquierda perdió las elecciones en ambos países. En el caso del pequeño país insular fue el fin del gobierno de Ralph Gonsalves, en el poder desde 2001. Fue durante 25 años la mayor espada ideológica del chavismo en el Caribe de habla inglesa.

Solo le quedan dos aliados ideológicos firmes en América Latina. Pero Cuba está atravesando la peor crisis de su historia tras la caída de la URSS y la Nicaragua de Daniel Ortega carece de cualquier peso económico y político en el área.

“Sería ideal que hubiera una mediación latinoamericana para que se ponga fin al conflicto. Pero tendría que estar basada en hechos tangibles que puedan ser motivo de un trabajo de negociación”, dijo a TN el analista venezolano Jesús Seguías, presidente de la consultora DatinCorp.

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Sin embargo, el experto descree de esta posibilidad. Según dijo, Trump solo busca derrocar al gobierno de Maduro “con una amenaza militar creíble” y denuncias de narcotráfico que, a su juicio, no tienen fundamento.

“No conocen en absoluto el fenómeno venezolano. Los chavistas están disfrutando esta confrontación. Ellos van a resistir”, indicó.

Cuál puede ser el rol de Rusia, China e Irán

Rusia no está mirando hoy hacia Venezuela. Necesita poner fin a la guerra de Ucrania y todo su esfuerzo está puesto en un acuerdo con Trump que le permita mantener el control de las zonas ocupadas durante el conflicto.

Para el analista ruso Oleg Ignatov, Moscú no tiene recursos para abrir otro frente.

“Es lo mismo que ocurrió en Siria. Rusia no pudo defender a (el régimen de Bashar al) Asad, quien tampoco pudo defenderse. Estados Unidos puede implementar cualquier escenario para bloquear a Venezuela si lo desea, y Rusia y China no podrán brindarle ninguna ayuda al régimen”, indicó.

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Incluso, según afirmó el experto, “si la situación se desarrolla políticamente no se debe exagerar la capacidad de Rusia. Es poco probable que Washington necesite intermediarios”, señaló.

Maduro habló de una estrecha cooperación militar con Moscú. Pero desde la capital rusa fueron contundentes: el canciller ruso, Serguéi Lavrov, negó que Caracas haya solicitado oficialmente ayuda militar.

Con China pasa algo similar. Beijing buscó tranquilizar a Trump y dijo que su cooperación con Venezuela se desarrolla “entre Estados soberanos y no va dirigida contra ningún tercero”. Si bien Venezuela compra armamento chino, ambos países no cuentan con ningún acuerdo público en materia de Defensa.

Por último, Irán no está en condiciones de hacer mucho más que encolumnarse detrás de Caracas en un respaldo diplomático después de la guerra de mediados de año en el que fue atacado por Estados Unidos e Israel.

El portavoz de la Cancillería iraní, Ismail Baghaei, resumió la soledad de Maduro en una sola frase: “Venezuela como un país independiente y con un pueblo firme y decidido, sin duda será plenamente capaz de defenderse por sí misma”.