Van Epps comes out swinging against ‘AOC of Tennessee’ challenger ahead of special election

Republican Matt Van Epps came out swinging ahead of a high-stakes special election Tuesday, urging Tennesseans to “bundle up” and get to the polls while laying out what he called two distinct paths before voters in the state’s 7th Congressional District.

“The distinction between the two of us cannot be more clear,” he said on “Fox & Friends,” drawing a sharp contrast with his Democratic opponent, Aftyn Behn.

“I’m a Christian, a husband, a father, an America First conservative, a combat veteran. I served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a helicopter pilot, served in state government, led in small business, still serving in the National Guard…”

Behn, a progressive Democrat dubbed the “AOC of Tennessee” by some, has come under fire for resurfaced comments disparaging Nashville and since-deleted social media posts calling to dissolve the city’s police department.

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Republican congressional candidate Matt Van Epps, left, speaks during a campaign event for the special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District on Wednesday, Nov. 12, in Nashville, Tenn.; and Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn, right, attends a campaign event in Nashville on Thursday, Nov. 13. (George Walker IV/ AP Photos)

The candidates are seeking to replace former Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., who resigned from Congress earlier this year to take a private-sector job. 

The district, currently red, includes parts of the Democratic stronghold of Nashville — Tennessee’s capital and most populous city.

During his appearance Tuesday, Van Epps pushed back on Behn’s claim that he hasn’t addressed affordability — a key issue in recent elections, including the 2024 presidential race and the New York City mayoral contest, where both winners campaigned on lowering costs.

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Democratic congressional candidate and state Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, poses with supporters during a campaign event for the special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District on Saturday, Nov. 29, in Nashville, Tenn. (George Walker IV/AP Photo)

“Her statements are just not true,” Van Epps said.

“We’ve been talking about affordability pretty frequently, about housing and healthcare, about energy,” he added, pointing to his support for expanding nuclear power, increasing healthcare transparency and boosting access to affordable housing near major job centers.

Van Epps argued those proposals stand in sharp contrast to Behn’s platform, which he characterized as a push for “new and higher taxes” backed by progressive groups. Behn, for her part, has maintained that Republican attacks on her past comments are meant to distract from what she says is the real issue for voters: the rising cost of living in Tennessee.

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When asked to comment on the controversy surrounding Behn’s resurfaced comments criticizing Nashville, campaign manager Kate Briefs previously provided Fox News Digital with the following statement: 

“Republicans are panicking and in a last ditched attempt, they are distracting from the fact that Washington Republicans and Matt Van Epps are raising costs on Tennessee families and ripping away their health care while Aftyn Behn will lower Tennessee families’ costs and make groceries more affordable by eliminating the state’s grocery tax.”

Fox News’ Madison Colombo and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.