A Democratic overperformance in a Republican-won special congressional election in Tennessee Tuesday sets the stage for a 2026 midterm election where affordability remains a top issue.

Republican Matt Van Epps won Tennessee's 7th Congressional District by 9 percentage points over Democratic State Rep. Aftyn Behn after millions of dollars in outside spending drove up turnout and attention on the contest in its final weeks.

President Trump won the district with roughly 60 percent of the vote last November. Former Rep. Mark Green, who resigned in July, won by a similar margin.

Tuesday's results saw Democrats gain ground in deep blue areas that saw lower turnout last year and, paired with last month's sweeping victories in races across the country, suggest the rightward drift of young peopl

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