Van Epps' Doppelgänger
👯♂️ D-7 copycat and other dirty political tactics · Judge blocks National Guard in Memphis · No zoning during tonight's council meeting · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. Matt Van Epps has a copycat that could siphon off Republican votes in D-7... Judge blocks National Guard in Memphis... No zoning during tonight's council meeting... And much more!
Early Voting! The special election to replace Mark Green in U.S. Congressional District 7 falls on December 2 (the Tuesday after Thanksgiving), so you might want to consider getting to the polls early. Find the early voting schedule (November 12-26) here. Find your election day voting location here.
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Interesting Political Strategies at Play as Democrats Hope To Capitalize on Low Voter Turnout in D-7
From Megan Podsiedlik
Everyone knows that the race to replace Mark Green in the 7th Congressional District will come down to Republican nominee Matt Van Epps and Democratic nominee Aftyn Behn. With only a 5,800 primary voter turnout deficit on the Democratic side of the ticket compared to the Republican primary turnout, Behn’s campaign has been looking for ways to close the gap.
With that in mind, a candidate who decided to run as an Independent after failing to meet the criteria to run as a Republican is changing the way strategists are crunching the numbers in D-7’s special election race.
Jon Thorp has swooped in as Matt Van Epps’ doppelganger, with a recent website revamp complete with a Chinook helicopter logo and color scheme eerily similar to Van Epps’ campaign material. Though Thorp is framing himself as a right-leaning, America First candidate, his website was created by NXTGEN Agency, whose mission statement says it “supports campaigns, organizations, and causes that are making an impact in the progressive space.” Cue 1959’s The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon.
Meanwhile, Your Community PAC has dumped over $500,000 opposing Van Epps, with a majority of it going toward TV/digital/radio ads. Recently, it released this little ditty in an attack ad:
The Epstein Files are locked away,
Matt Van Epps will keep ‘em that way,
Just a hedge fund puppet for the billionaire elite.
The Epstein ad is ironic for two reasons. One, Democrats blocked Congressman Tim Burchett’s (R-Tenn.) motion to immediately release the Epstein Files last week. Burchett has actively campaigned in support of Van Epps. Two, the PAC calls Van Epps a puppet for the billionaire elite, while Your Community PAC receives large contributions from the Sixteen Thirty Fund. Spoiler: the Sixteen Thirty Fund is bankrolled by Democratic Party megadonors like Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss.
When it comes to strategy, Your Community PAC has outlined an avenue in which Democrats like Behn can take advantage of elections with suppressed voter turnout.
“At the very least, Behn looks poised to overperform and add to the narrative that Democrats will be able to compete everywhere in 2026, even in more conservative seats where Republicans have rigged the maps in their favor,” reads Your Community PAC’s TN CD-07 Special Election Assessment.
Adding to the smoke and mirrors, the PAC appears to be deploying another political strategy to undermine voter turnout for Van Epps. While openly touting its support for Behn and the Democratic Party, the left-wing entity is also distributing mailers in support of Thorp. The third-party candidate will likely siphon off votes from Van Epps—a boon for Behn.
Republicans seem optimistic, assured by regular election cycle data (which paints District 7 red), big-name endorsements, and heavily funded ad campaigns. Meanwhile, Behn has leaned into her strength as a community organizer, coordinating a robust ground game alongside Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Votes Action PAC and others.
Ultimately, it’s the GOP’s seat to lose. Matt Van Epps is a sitting target and will need to inspire a solid turnout to secure a victory in this off-cycle race. Suppressed turnout, Republican voter apathy, an overperformance by Behn in blue counties, and Thorp chipping away at Van Epps’ bottom line could be enough to make this race a nail-biter until the very end.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"It's almost like we're collaborating with each other... Creepy."—Jon Thorp's official X account in reply to a social media post pointing out the similarities between his new logo and Matt Van Epps' campaign material.
HEADLINES
- ⚖️ Judge blocks deployment of National Guard in Memphis. On Monday, Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal temporarily blocked the use of the National Guard in Memphis under a crime-fighting operation by President Donald Trump. (Washington Post)
- 💸 Metro forced to repay $1.4 million to Nashville residents. After losing another court battle for charging homeowners for water and sewer services designated to the city, Nashville agreed to repay $1.4 million in improper fees. (Fox 17)
- 🏡 Nashville zoning legislation won’t be heard at tonight’s meeting. The slew of zoning proposals working their way through Metro Council have been deferred and won’t be heard at tonight’s meeting. The bill to create the Midtown Business Improvements District is also expected to be deferred on its second reading tonight. (Pamphleteer)
- ✈️ Overnight lane closures at BNA. From November 17 to 21, there will be overnight single-lane closures between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. along Terminal Drive and BNA Park Drive while crews perform initial work for the new rental car facility and parking garage. (BNA)
- 👩⚖️ Council to appoint a new General Sessions Court judge tonight. The council will choose between the five nominees who are in the running for the appointment during tonight’s council meeting. (Axios)
DEVELOPMENT
- Nate Bargatze partners with Storyland Studios for Nashville theme park. (NBJ)
- East Side development to offer cocktail-centric restaurant. (Post)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.
TONIGHT
🎸 Dari Bay @ DRKMTTR, 8p, $17.84, Info
🪕 Songteller Sessions with Dani Flowers & Friends @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info
🎸 Christian Lee's Twang Tuesday @ The Underdog, 9p, $10, Info
🎸 Honky Tonk Tuesday @ Eastside Bowl, 8p, $10, Info
+ two-step lessons @ 7p, The Cowpokes @ 8p
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik and Camelia Brennan.