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Matt Van Epps

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Matt Van Epps
Official portrait, 2025
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Tennessee's 7th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 4, 2025
Preceded byMark Green
Tennessee Commissioner of
General Services
In office
September 17, 2024 – June 10, 2025
GovernorBill Lee
Preceded byChristi Branscom
Succeeded byJeff Holmes
Personal details
BornMatthew Robert Van Epps
(1983-03-29) March 29, 1983 (age 42)
Ohio, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Meg Wrather
​
(m. 2023)​
Children1
EducationUnited States Military Academy (BS)
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (MPA)
WebsiteCampaign website
Military service
Branch/service
Years of service2005–2015
2015–present (guard)
RankLieutenant Colonel
Unit160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
Battles/wars
AwardsAir Medal

Matthew Robert Van Epps[1] (born March 29, 1983) is an American politician and former Army officer serving as the United States representative for the Tennessee's 7th congressional district since December 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected in the 2025 special election.[2] He previously served as the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services from 2024 to 2025.[3][4] He was sworn-in on December 4, 2025.[5]

Early life and education

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Matthew Robert Van Epps was born in March 1983. He graduated from Mentor High School in Mentor, Ohio, where he played baseball, football, and was a member of the National Honor Society.[6] After leaving the Army, Van Epps obtained a master's degree in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[7][8]

Military service

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Van Epps graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2005 and commissioned into the Army as an aviation officer, serving on active duty for ten years. He serve as Lieutenant Colonel in Tennessee Army National Guard. During his military career, he was awarded the Air Medal with "V" device, the Bronze Star, and the Meritorious Service Medal.[3][9]

Political career

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Van Epps was appointed commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services by Governor Bill Lee, serving from 2024 to 2025.[3] On June 10, 2025, he resigned from his post to run in the 2025 special election for Tennessee's 7th congressional district, following the resignation of U.S. representative Mark Green.[10]

U.S. House of Representatives

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2025 special election

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Main article: 2025 Tennessee's 7th congressional district special election
Matt Van Epps when he was nominated in October 2025

Shortly after announcing his campaign, Van Epps received endorsements from both Green and Governor Lee.[9][11] The 7th district seat, considered a solid Republican district by the Cook Political Report, covers much of Middle Tennessee, including Clarksville, portions of Nashville, and western Williamson County.[11]

In October 2025, President Donald Trump endorsed Van Epps in the Republican primary for the 7th district, describing him as a "MAGA warrior" and a "combat-decorated Army helicopter pilot."[11] Trump’s endorsement came four days before the primary election and was followed by the withdrawal of state representative Lee Reeves, who publicly suspended his campaign and endorsed Van Epps.[12]

The Republican primary initially featured 11 candidates, including state representatives Jody Barrett, Gino Bulso, and Reeves, who were considered frontrunners before the endorsement. Following Trump's announcement, most outside spending in the race focused on Van Epps and Barrett.[11][12]

Van Epps won the Republican primary with 51.6% of the vote on October 7, 2025,[13][14] and defeated the Democratic nominee Aftyn Behn in the December 2 special election, with roughly 54% of the popular vote.[2]

Tenure

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Van Epps was sworn into office on December 4, 2025.[15]

Personal life

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Van Epps lives in Nashville, Tennessee.[16] He and his wife, Meg, have one daughter.[17][18]

Electoral history

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Republican primary results[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Matt Van Epps 19,006 51.56%
Republican Jody Barrett 9,337 25.33%
Republican Gino Bulso 4,005 10.86%
Republican Lee Reeves (withdrawn) 1,929 5.23%
Republican Mason Foley 1,022 2.77%
Republican Stewart Parks 595 1.61%
Republican Jason Knight 381 1.03%
Republican Stuart Cooper 239 0.65%
Republican Tres Wittum 133 0.36%
Republican Joe Leurs 122 0.33%
Republican Adolph Dagan 93 0.25%
Total votes 36,862 100.00%
2025 Tennessee's 7th congressional district special election[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Matt Van Epps 96,988 53.91% −5.59
Democratic Aftyn Behn 81,044 45.05% +7.00
Independent Jon Thorp 932 0.52% N/A
Independent Terri Christie 610 0.34% N/A
Independent Bobby Dodge 196 0.11% N/A
Independent Robert Sutherby 129 0.07% N/A
Total votes 179,899 100.00%
Republican hold

References

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  1. ^ "VAN EPPS, MATTHEW ROBERT – Candidate overview". FEC.gov. Federal Election Commission. January 1, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Armstrong, Gene. "Live results: Tennessee House District 7 special election". CNN. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Housler, Kaitlin (June 12, 2025). "Matt Van Epps Steps Away From Lee Administration to Run for TN-7 U.S. House Seat". The Tennessee Star. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  4. ^ Jarrett, Kim (June 11, 2025). "First candidate for Green's congressional seat announces". The Center Square. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  5. ^ Lee Hill, Meredith. "Van Epps sworn in". Politico. Politico. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
  6. ^ Jones, Vivian. "From a wealthy Cleveland suburb to Afghanistan to Nashville, who is Matt Van Epps?". The Tennessean. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  7. ^ "Congressional candidate. Matt Van Epps – R Tennessee – Previously held positions". LegiStorm. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  8. ^ "Matt Van Epps, MPA | LinkedIn". LinkedIn. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Mark Green endorses Matt Van Epps in Tennessee race". WZTV. July 14, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  10. ^ "Van Epps annouces bid for Green seat in Congress, steps down from Lee Cabinet". StateAffairs.com. June 10, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d "Trump endorses Van Epps in Middle Tennessee U.S House race, Reeves drops out • Tennessee Lookout". Tennessee Lookout. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  12. ^ a b Taylor, Sarah Grace (October 4, 2025). "Donald Trump backs Matt Van Epps; another GOP contender drops out". Nashville Banner. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  13. ^ "Tennessee Seventh Congressional District Special Primary Election Results 2025". The New York Times. October 7, 2025. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  14. ^ "Tennessee House Primary Special Results 2025 Live Results". NBC News. October 8, 2025. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  15. ^ Lee Hill, Meredith. "Inside Congress Live Dec 4, 2025". Politico. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
  16. ^ "Gov. Lee Announces Key Leadership Transition at TN Department of General Services". tn.gov. Office of the Governor. October 7, 2025. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  17. ^ Smith, Chris (October 7, 2025). "'Tonight is not the finish line, it's halfime': Matt Van Epps wins Republican bid to Congress". Clarksville Now. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  18. ^ "Meet Matt Van Epps". Matt Van Epps for Congress. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  19. ^ "United States House of Representatives District 7 Republican Primary" (PDF). elections.tn.gov. October 8, 2025. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  20. ^ Hargett, Tre (December 2, 2025). "United States House of Representatives District 7". Tennessee Secretary of State. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
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