U.S. House · Tennessee's 7th District

Middle Tennessee, including parts of Nashville's suburbs and Clarksville, under the congressional map Tennessee redrew in May 2026.

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

✓ Fact-checked 2026-09-25: 26 claims re-checked against their sources

A second, independent research pass re-opened every cited source for this race and corrected or removed anything the source didn’t support.

On the ballot · 4 candidates

Where they stand — side by side

Only positions documented in a cited source are shown. Where an officeholder’s recorded votes speak to an issue, the votes set the position (marked “votes”). A dash means we found no clear public position — not that the candidate has none.

ISSUEMatt Van Epps
R
Darden Copeland
D
Andrew Koontz
IND
Lowell Reynolds
IND
Expand public health coverageOpposes[7]votes———
Broad tariffs on imported goodsSupports[8]votes———

The candidates, in full

Matt Van Epps

RINCUMBENTU.S. Representative (since December 2025)

Unopposed in the August 6 Republican primary

Matt Van Epps is a combat veteran and former Tennessee state government official who won a December 2025 special election to represent the 7th District and is running for a full term. He serves on the House Committees on Homeland Security and Science, Space, and Technology.[2][3]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

Key votes in Congress

  • NoWar Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities · H. Con. Res. 86 · Passed 215–208 · 2026-06-03 roll call ↗The resolution directs the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran that Congress has not authorized, invoking the War Powers Resolution. It passed the House with support from Democrats and a number of Republicans.
  • NoResolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · H.J. Res. 72 · Passed 219–211 · 2026-02-11 roll call ↗The resolution terminates the national emergency the President declared in February 2025 to justify a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada, ending that tariff if it becomes law. It passed with a bipartisan majority, including several Republicans who broke with the administration on trade policy.
  • YesConsolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 — full-year government funding · H.R. 7148 · Passed 217–214 · 2026-02-03 roll call ↗The bill provides full-year discretionary appropriations for federal agencies for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, replacing the stopgap funding enacted after the fall 2025 shutdown. It sets spending levels across defense and non-defense programs through September 2026.
  • NoBreaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · H.R. 1834 · Passed 230–196 · 2026-01-08 roll call ↗The bill extends for additional years the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that were expanded in 2021 and had lapsed at the end of 2025, lowering health-insurance premiums for people who buy coverage on ACA marketplaces. It passed with support from nearly all Democrats and a small group of Republicans.
  • NoWar Powers Resolution on Venezuela · H. Con. Res. 64 · Failed 211–213 · 2025-12-17 roll call ↗The resolution would have directed the President to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities in or against Venezuela that Congress had not authorized. It failed after U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels off Venezuela had raised questions in Congress about the administration's legal authority for military action in the region.
  • YesNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 — final passage · S. 1071 · Passed 312–112 · 2025-12-10 roll call ↗The fiscal year 2026 NDAA authorizes roughly $900 billion in defense spending, including a pay raise for service members and funding for shipbuilding, munitions, and missile-defense programs. It also sets policy on military personnel, procurement, and other Defense Department programs for the year.

On the record — official actions

  • action2025-12-02 · Won the special election for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District on December 2, 2025, defeating Aftyn Behn (D) 53.9% to 45.1%, and was sworn into the 119th Congress on December 4, 2025.[1]
  • actionServes on the House Committee on Homeland Security (Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security) and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.[3]

Positions on the issues

  • OpposesExpand public health coverageFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on Breaking the Gridlock Act (H.R. 1834, 2026-01-08).[7]

  • SupportsBroad tariffs on imported goodsFrom recorded votes

    Voted no on Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada (H.J. Res. 72, 2026-02-11).[8]

Background

  • Graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point; served ten years on active duty as an Army aviator, deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan and flying AH-64D Apache and MH-47G Chinook missions with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.[2]
  • Continued service in the Tennessee Army National Guard, rising to Lieutenant Colonel.[2]
  • Before Congress, served as Deputy Chief Operating Officer in the Tennessee Governor's Office and as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services, overseeing statewide procurement, real estate, and facilities operations.[2]
  • Holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[2]

Campaign money

Raised $2.3M · spent $2.1M · $208K cash on hand (through 2026-07-17) FEC filing ↗

Darden Copeland

DFounder and CEO of a political consulting firm

Won the August 6 Democratic primary with 32.7% of the vote in a five-candidate field

Darden Copeland is a founder and CEO who previously worked for U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt. He ran unsuccessfully in the 2025 special-election Democratic primary for this seat and won the August 2026 Democratic primary in a five-candidate field.[5]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

In their words — priorities

  • Says he is not a career politician and wants to be a consensus builder who reaches across the aisle for working families and constituents.[5]
  • Says he wants to stand up to Republicans who won't challenge President Trump: "We need a strong Democrat that isn't afraid to stand up to the party and people in power and force them to come to the table and negotiate."[5]
  • Says he is passionate about standing up for the middle class and working families.[5]

Background

  • Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; career experience as a founder and CEO.[5]
  • Says he previously worked for then-U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO), whom he cites as a role model of "honest midwest values."[5]
  • Ran in the special Democratic primary for this seat in October 2025 and placed second with 24.9% of the vote, behind Aftyn Behn.[1]

Campaign money

Raised $869K · spent $790K · $79K cash on hand (through 2026-07-17) FEC filing ↗

Andrew Koontz

IND

Andrew Koontz is an independent candidate on the November 3 general-election ballot for Tennessee's 7th District. Ballotpedia lists no biography or Candidate Connection survey response for him.[1]

Little public record found for this candidate.

Campaign money

Raised $5,100 · spent $130 · $4,970 cash on hand (through 2026-06-30) FEC filing ↗

Lowell Reynolds

IND

Lowell Reynolds is an independent candidate, music producer, and third-year law student running on a platform of constitutional accountability and independence from both major parties.[6]

Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.

In their words — priorities

  • Says Congress must reclaim its constitutional role and reduce power ceded to the Executive Branch.[6]
  • Says he is not beholden to either party and, in a closely divided House, an independent could wield significant influence.[6]
  • Says he supports policies that reduce burdens on small businesses and help working families build stability.[6]

Background

  • Worked more than 20 years in the music industry as a producer and audio engineer; holds a bachelor's degree in business and is a third-year law student.[6]

Research notes & limits

Van Epps' house.gov issues pages listed only topic categories with no dated statements suitable for citation, so his positions section is left empty; his record reflects his special-election win and committee assignments. No campaign website or public statements were found for independent candidate Andrew Koontz.

Sources · 8

Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.Tennessee's 7th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  2. 2.About · Office of Congressman Matt Van Epps Official record
  3. 3.Committees and Caucuses · Office of Congressman Matt Van Epps Official record
  4. 4.Special general election for U.S. House Tennessee District 7, December 2, 2025 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  5. 5.Darden Copeland Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey responses · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
  6. 6.Lowell Reynolds Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey responses · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
  7. 7.Roll call: Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-01-08 Official record
  8. 8.Roll call: Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-02-11 Official record