Early voting for the Tennessee 7th Congressional District special election primary begins tomorrow, September 17. TN-07 includes portions of Davidson County and surrounding areas; check to see if you can vote in this election. Nineteen candidates are on the ballot. Here are profiles of the four Democratic candidates, and the four leading Republican candidates, according to polls.
Barrett is a Dickson County attorney who has served in the TN General Assembly since 2020. He claims to be the most conservative state representative in Tennessee history. During this year’s special session, he voted against school vouchers, setting him apart from other state Republican legislators.
A social worker and Nashville local, Behn has served in the TN General Assembly since 2023, and is the only woman running in this election. At this year’s legislative session, Behn proposed bills to eliminate the state’s grocery tax, and to legalize marijuana and use the tax revenue on infrastructure — the “Pot for Potholes Act.” Neither bill passed. Early polls show Behn leading among Democratic voters.
A Brentwood lawyer, Bulso was elected to the TN General Assembly in 2022. In 2024, he filed an amendment to protect first-cousin marriage in the state (which failed), and this year sponsored legislation allowing public schools to deny students based on immigration status. He says his first bill would be to require the federal government to pass a balanced budget.
A local businessman, Copeland lives in Nashville and has never held an elected office. He runs Calvert Street Group, a PR firm, which consulted on the 2024 transit referendum. “[Politicians] are abandoning the middle class, and serving the billionaires, bigots, and bullies,” his website states.
Raised in Nashville, Dixie is a local businessman who’s served in the TN General Assembly since 2018. He was the first Black leader of a legislative caucus in state history. Dixie has fought to eliminate the grocery tax since 2021, and aims to make life more affordable by “cracking down on the big corporations that are driving up housing costs,” according to his website.
Mitchell grew up in Dickson County and currently lives in Nashville. A former lawyer, he’s served in the TN General Assembly since 2012, and was a Metro councilmember from 2007-2015. He’s dedicated to making healthcare more affordable and accessible, and is endorsed by many local unions.
Reeves, who lives in Franklin, was elected to the TN General Assembly last November. He wants to end birthright citizenship for immigrants, and during the Republican primary debate, he called for the elimination of the Department of Education.
A military veteran and former TN General Services Commissioner, Van Epps is the only candidate to receive an endorsement from former TN-7 Rep. Mark Green. He says his first piece of legislation would support expanding child care and health care for vets, and reducing their taxes.
