Trump looms over Tennessee special election in a deep-red House district

As the special House election for a deep-red congressional district in Tennessee approaches, one issue has shaped the race above all else: Donald Trump

As the special House election for a deep-red congressional district in Tennessee approaches, one issue has shaped the race above all else: Donald Trump.

A crowded field in Tuesday’s GOP primary to fill former Rep. Mark Green’s seat spent months fighting over who’s the most pro-Trump before Trump stepped in with an endorsement for Matt Van Epps at the end of last week. Other issues have fallen to the background, blurring the lines between candidates, while the increasing drumbeat of campaign ads largely revolved around support for Trump and his policies.

Trump and Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn each carried the 7th District by about 20 points last year, making the Republican primary the main event in the special election to replace Green, who resigned this year. And Trump's endorsement was the big event of the primary, with the capacity to shape Election Day turnout (it took place after early voting closed) and the result on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, with campaigns expecting fewer voters to participate than usual because of the irregular election dates, it’s possible the Dec. 2 special general election could be a closer contest than the election was last year, like other special elections around the country this year.

The district in Middle Tennessee has been heavily Republican for more than a dozen years, and it remained so even after the Republican-controlled Legislature redrew congressional lines and added more Democratic voters to the seat after the last census.