The Republican special primary election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District will be held on October 7, 2025. The general election will be held on December 2, 2025.

The special election will fill the vacancy Mark Green (R) left when he resigned on July 20, 2025, to take a job in the private sector.

WPLN News‘ Marianna Bacallao wrote, “The Republican side of the race is crowded with 11 men vying for the GOP nomination, the majority of whom have aligned themselves with President Donald Trump in campaign materials.” Compared to the Democratic primary, Nashville Banner‘s Sarah Grace Taylor said, “The Republican primary may be even more complex to predict, with a crowded field of similar candidates lacking big-name contenders.”

Five candidates — Jody Barrett, Gino Bulso, Stewart Parks, Lee Reeves, Matt Van Epps — lead in media attention ahead of the election. Barrett, Bulso, and Reeves are state representatives. Parks is a real estate developer, and Van Epps is an Army combat veteran.

Barrett was first elected to represent House District 69 in 2022. Barrett highlighted his perfect score on Tennessee Stands’ legislative report card, and his campaign website said he was “graded the most conservative legislator in Tennessee history.” He is running on his record as a state representative, and his campaign website said, “He has consistently stood up for life, defended the Second Amendment, backed law enforcement, and fought back against radical leftist ideology infiltrating our schools, our borders, and our way of life. He is Tennessee-First and America-First.”

Bulso was first elected to represent House District 61 in 2022. He is running on his record as a state representative, and his campaign website stated, “In the state legislature, Gino has led the charge in supporting President Trump’s America First agenda. He championed the TRUMP Act to end taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants, sponsored a ban on sanctuary cities, and blocked Chinese Communist Party-linked entities from buying Tennessee farmland. He defended girls’ sports from woke gender ideology, safeguarded medical freedom during the COVID era, and stood strong for constitutional carry and Second Amendment rights.”

Parks, a real estate developer, was arrested on June 3, 2021, in relation to his attendance at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. His campaign website said, “To be able to serve in Congress – to fight for America First and for President Trump’s agenda – after being deprived of my own freedom and thrown into prison by the corrupt Biden Administration, would send the perfect message to the elite political establishment.” On the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump (R) pardoned Parks among a group of about 1,500 individuals convicted of crimes related to the Capitol breach.

Reeves was first elected to represent House District 65 in 2024. Reeves said, “President Trump is our quarterback, leading the charge to restore America’s strength, security, and values. I’m ready to run the route, take the handoff, or set the block-whatever it takes to advance the conservative principles that have made our district, our state, and our country strong. That’s precisely what I’ve done in the Tennessee House, and I’ll bring that same fight to Washington.” His campaign website stated, “Lee Reeves fully backs President Trump and his America First agenda to secure our borders, strengthen our nation’s defenses, and restore the traditional values that made America great.”

Van Epps is a combat veteran and West Point graduate. Gov. Bill Lee (R) appointed Van Epps commissioner for the Tennessee Department of General Services in 2024, and Van Epps resigned in June 2025 to run in this election. Green endorsed Van Epps, calling him “a decorated combat veteran, a relentless fighter, a principled conservative, and exactly the kind of leader the 7th District wants as its voice in Washington.” In his campaign announcement, Van Epps said, “It’s time to secure the border, protect our values and put Tennessee first.”

Stuart Cooper, Adolph Agbéko Dagan, Mason Foley, Jason Knight, Joseph Leurs, and Tres Wittum are also running.