Tennessee's 7th congressional district

The 7th congressional district of Tennessee is a congressional district located in parts of Middle and West Tennessee. It has been represented by Republican Matt Van Epps since December 4, 2025.^[5] The 7th district has significant urban, suburban, and rural areas. Although most of the area is rural, more than half of the district's votes are cast in either Davidson County (Nashville), Montgomery County (Clarksville), or Williamson County (Franklin).

By most measures, Williamson County is the wealthiest county in the state and is usually ranked near the top nationally.^[6]

The district has a very strong military presence, as it includes Tennessee's share of Fort Campbell. Politically speaking, the area was secessionist and part of the Democrats' "Solid South" for a century after the Civil War. But the Highland Rim of Wayne County was strongly Unionist during the war and voted Republican afterwards.

Starting with the election of Robin Beard from a predecessor district in 1973, conservative whites have switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party, and consequently this district has become one of the most Republican areas in Tennessee. Nashville's suburbs have been similar politically to those of most affluent suburban districts in much of the South until the mid-2000s. It has a strong social conservative bent; many of the state's most politically active churches are either located here or draw most of their congregations from here. Until 2013, it included Memphis' eastern suburbs and much of eastern Memphis itself, which had a similar character.^[7]

The former secessionist counties that are rural are similar demographically to the 8th district. Their voters supported Democratic candidates until the 2000s; three of the five Tennessee counties won by George McGovern in Richard Nixon's 1974 landslide lie within this district. However, since the mid-2000s, the aforementioned counties have voted overwhelmingly Republican in all elections.

Today, the only Democratic stronghold in the district is part of Nashville. This was added to the district in 2022 during the redistricting cycle. The city of Clarksville is the most competitive part of the district.^[8]

Districts stretching from Clarksville to West Tennessee have existed in one form or another since 1871. For most of the time between 1933 and 1983 (with the exception of 1943 to 1953), the region was primarily designated as the 6th district.^[9]

This district assumed a configuration approaching its modern form in 1973, when Tennessee lost a congressional seat following the 1970 census. At that time, the 6th was redrawn to stretch from Williamson County, south of Nashville, to the eastern suburbs of Memphis, covering the rural areas in between. Republican Robin Beard represented this area from 1973 to 1983.

Following the 1980 census, Tennessee gained a congressional district, and the region was re-numbered as the 7th. It lost its eastern counties to the 4th and 6th districts. Simultaneously, most of its Black residents near Memphis were drawn into the 9th district. Following this redistricting, Beard made an unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid and was replaced by former Shelby County Republican Party chair Don Sundquist.

Sundquist served through the 1980s and the 1990 redistricting, which saw the district pick up Maury County. In 1994, Sundquist was elected Governor of Tennessee, defeating future governor Phil Bredesen. He was succeeded by Ed Bryant, who served until 2002. That year, the district was significantly altered by the Democrat-led Tennessee General Assembly to pack heavily Republican suburbs of Nashville and Memphis into a single entity. The resulting district was 200 miles (320 km) long but narrowed to only two miles (3.2 km) wide at certain points in Middle Tennessee.^[10] Following this, the area elected Brentwood-based state senator Marsha Blackburn, who served from 2003 to 2019.

Redistricting after the 2010 census made the district more compact, though it lost its share of Memphis suburbs to the 8th. In 2018, Blackburn was elected to the U.S. Senate, defeating Phil Bredesen. The district subsequently selected physician and former state senator Mark Green.

In 2022, the district was significantly altered by the Republican-led Tennessee General Assembly which made the district technically less Republican, as the state legislature split Democratic Nashville (Davidson County) among three districts. The 7th picked up a significant portion of western Nashville while losing rural counties to the 8th.^[11] Despite these changes, the district remained a Republican stronghold with a Cook PVI of R+10.^[12]

In July 2025, incumbent Mark Green resigned his seat to take a position in the private sector shortly after the passage of federal budget reconciliation legislation.^[13] This triggered the first special election for the 7th district since 1883, over 140 years ago.^[14]

The election garnered national attention as a test to the second presidency of Donald Trump, with outside groups and national parties investing millions into the race. Though the district was considered to favor Republicans, the contest was somewhat competitive; Democratic nominee Aftyn Behn outperformed the 2024 presidential margin by nearly 13 points. However, Republican nominee Matt Van Epps ultimately won the seat on December 2, 2025, with 53.9% of the vote, maintaining the seat for the Republican party.^[15]

The district is located in both West and Middle Tennessee. It stretches as far north as the Kentucky border, as far south as the Alabama border, as far east as Franklin, and as far west as Camden. For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), it contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:^[16]

Benton County (4)

Big Sandy, Camden (part; also 8th), Eva, Holladay

Cheatham County (4)

All 4 communities

Davidson County (2)

Berry Hill, Nashville (part; also 5th and 6th)

Dickson County (6)

All 6 communities

Decatur County (3)

All 3 communities

Hickman County (4)

All 4 communities

Houston County (2)

Erin, Tennessee Ridge

Humphreys County (3)

All 3 communities

Montgomery County (1)

Clarksville

Perry County (2)

Linden, Lobelville

Robertson County (11)

All 11 communities

Stewart County (3)

All 3 communities

Wayne County (3)

All 3 communities

Williamson County (4)

Brentwood (part; also 5th), Fairview, Franklin (part; also 5th), Thompson's Station (part; also 5th)

Results under old lines (2013–2023)

Results under current lines (2023–present)

• Tennessee's congressional districts
• List of United States congressional districts
• 2025 Tennessee's 7th congressional district special election

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present Archived April 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine

35°38′02″N 87°49′59″W / 35.63389°N 87.83306°W / 35.63389; -87.83306