As early voting kicks off for Tennessee’s special primary election, Republicans and Democrats running for the state’s 7th congressional district are trying to distinguish themselves with voters.
Nearly a dozen candidates are vying for the Republican nomination in a district that stretches from Clarksville near the Kentucky border down to Wayne County near the border with Georgia. Parts of Nashville were incorporated into the district when state Republicans redrew Tennessee’s congressional maps in 2022, dividing the city’s largely Democratic voting bloc into three districts.
The four Republican frontrunners are aligned on the party issues and debates have had a friendly tone.
Former commissioner Matt Van Epps has pointed to his military service, something he has in common with former District 7 Congressman Mark Green, whose departure kickstarted the special election. Green has helped campaign for Van Epps across the district.
Tennessee representatives Gino Bulso, Lee Reeves and Jody Barrett have similar experience in the statehouse, although Reeves is a freshman lawmaker. Bulso and Barrett are both lawyers in their second terms.
Barrett has used his voting history to set himself apart as a party outsider, pointing to his opposition to the governor’s school voucher program.
When asked how they might disagree with President Donald Trump, Bulso, Reeves and Van Epps demurred.
“As an army guy, I’d like him to spend more time at West Point than Annapolis,” Van Epps said.
“President Trump spends a lot of time on the golf course,” Bulso said. “I prefer to spend time on the tennis court.”
Reeves, who is bald, said, “Trump is known for his hair.”
Barrett broke form to criticize the first Trump’s administration’s handling of the 2020 COVID vaccine rollout — something Trump himself has backed away from as his base is largely skeptical of vaccines.
However, during the debate hosted by Americans for Prosperity, many of the candidates disagreed with Trump when asked if they would support the president’s proposal to lower marijuana’s drug classification.
Bulso was staunchly against the idea, while Reeves said marijuana wasn’t at the top of his priorities. Van Epps said that he would need to look at data and research but expressed interest in marijuana’s mental health benefits for veterans.
Only Barrett agreed with Trump, arguing that the War on Drugs failed, and that it’s time for a new approach.
“Our jails are overcrowded and chock full of people that have little, simple possession charges,” Barrett said. “They don’t need to be in prison; they need to get help.”
MORE: Meet all the congressional candidates for Tennessee’s special election
Like the frontrunners on the Republican side, Democrats agree on the issues. All four candidates have stressed affordable housing, access to healthcare, and lowering the cost of living for Tennesseans.
When asked what set them apart from other candidates, state Rep. Bo Mitchell said that he can reach across the district — and across the aisle. He said he won his first statehouse race in a majority Republican district.
“Obama was running for re-election the same year. He lost my district by 21 percentage points,” Mitchell said. “So, I have the ability to reach out and get people (to) … cross those party lines and vote for me.”
State Rep. Vincent Dixie — the only Black candidate running for the Democratic nomination — said that he’s organized a grassroots campaign.
“I am a fighter,” Dixie said. “We have to fight these people on the other side because we know that we’re on the right side of history.”
Nashville businessman Darden Copeland said he’s the only candidate running that’s not currently in office.
“We have a slew of career politicians on both sides of the aisle, and I’m a little tired of sort of politics as usual and the bickering back and forth,” Copeland said.
State Rep. Aftyn Behn, the only woman running in either primary, has campaigned on energizing young voters and boosting turnout.
“The electorate wants to see young voters, young leaders, lead this charge,” Behn told CNN. “They want to see us usher in an era of prosperity. They want to see us take charge, elbow our way into the table, and to really be vocal about the issues that are affecting us.”
Early voting runs through Oct. 2 at polling sites across Middle Tennessee and parts of West Tennessee. The primary election is set for Oct. 7, with the general election on Dec. 2.
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