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. 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.
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.
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 1972 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.
History 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.
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 long but narrowed to only wide at certain points in Middle Tennessee. 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. Despite these changes, the district remained a Republican stronghold with a Cook PVI of R+10.
2025 special election 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. This triggered the first special election for the 7th district since 1883, over 140 years ago.
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.
Current boundaries 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:https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST47/CD118_TN07.pdf
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)
Recent election results from statewide races
Results under 2022 lines Year Office Results2008 PresidentMcCain 50% - 48%2012 PresidentRomney 55% - 45%2016 PresidentTrump 56% - 39%2018 SenateBlackburn 50% - 49% GovernorLee 54% - 43%2020 PresidentTrump 56% - 41% SenateHagerty 58% - 39%2022 GovernorLee 60% - 38%2024 PresidentTrump 60% - 38% SenateBlackburn 60% - 38% List of members representing the district Name Party Years Congress Electoral history District location District established March 4, 1823 Sam Houston Democratic-Republican March 4, 1823 – March 4, 1825 Elected in 1823.Re-elected in 1825.Retired to run for Governor of Tennessee. Jacksonian March 4, 1825 – March 4, 1827 John Bell Jacksonian March 4, 1827 –March 3, 1835 Elected in 1827.Re-elected in 1829.Re-elected in 1831.Re-elected in 1833.Re-elected in 1835.Re-elected in 1837.Re-elected in 1839.Retired to become U.S. Secretary of War. Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1835 –March 3, 1837 Whig March 4, 1837 –March 3, 1841 Robert L. Caruthers Whig March 4, 1841 –March 3, 1843 Elected in 1841.Retired. David W. Dickinson Whig March 4, 1843 –March 3, 1845 Elected in 1843.Retired. Meredith P. Gentry Whig March 4, 1845 –March 3, 1853 Elected in 1845.Re-elected in 1847.Re-elected in 1849.Re-elected in 1851.Retired. Robert M. Bugg Whig March 4, 1853 –March 3, 1855 Elected in 1853.Retired. John V. Wright Democratic March 4, 1855 –March 3, 1861 Elected in 1855.Re-elected in 1857.Re-elected in 1859.Could not seek re-election, as West Tennessee seceded. District inactive March 4, 1861 –July 24, 1866 Civil War and Reconstruction Isaac R. Hawkins Unionist July 24, 1866 –March 3, 1867 Elected in 1865.Re-elected in 1867.Re-elected in 1868.Retired. Republican March 4, 1867 –March 3, 1871 Robert P. Caldwell Democratic March 4, 1871 –March 3, 1873 Elected in 1870.Lost renomination. John Atkins Democratic March 4, 1873 –March 3, 1875 Elected in 1872.Redistricted to the . Washington C. Whitthorne Democratic March 4, 1875 –March 3, 1883 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1874.Re-elected in 1876.Re-elected in 1878.Re-elected in 1880.Retired. John G. Ballentine Democratic March 4, 1883 –March 3, 1887 Elected in 1882.Re-elected in 1884.Retired. Washington C. Whitthorne Democratic March 4, 1887 –March 4, 1891 Elected in 1886.Re-elected in 1888.Retired. Nicholas N. Cox Democratic March 4, 1891 –March 3, 1901 Elected in 1890.Re-elected in 1892.Re-elected in 1894.Re-elected in 1896.Re-elected in 1898.Retired. Lemuel P. Padgett Democratic March 4, 1901 –August 2, 1922 Elected in 1900.Re-elected in 1902.Re-elected in 1904.Re-elected in 1906.Re-elected in 1908.Re-elected in 1910.Re-elected in 1912.Re-elected in 1914.Re-elected in 1916.Re-elected in 1918.Re-elected in 1920.Died. Vacant August 2, 1922 –November 6, 1922 Clarence W. Turner Democratic November 7, 1922 –March 3, 1923 Elected to finish Padgett's term.Retired. William C. Salmon Democratic March 4, 1923 –March 3, 1925 Elected in 1922.Retired. Edward E. Eslick Democratic March 4, 1925 –June 14, 1932 Elected in 1924.Re-elected in 1926.Re-elected in 1928.Re-elected in 1930.Died. Vacant June 14, 1932 –August 12, 1932 Willa Eslick Democratic August 13, 1932 –March 3, 1933 Elected to finish her husband's term.Retired. Gordon Browning Democratic March 4, 1933 –January 3, 1935 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1932.Retired to run for U.S. Senator. Herron C. Pearson Democratic January 3, 1935 –January 3, 1943 Elected in 1934.Re-elected in 1936.Re-elected in 1938.Re-elected in 1940.Retired. W. Wirt Courtney Democratic January 3, 1943 –January 3, 1949 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1942.Re-elected in 1944.Re-elected in 1946.Lost renomination. James P. Sutton Democratic January 3, 1949 –January 3, 1953 Elected in 1948.Re-elected in 1950.Redistricted to the . Tom J. Murray Democratic January 3, 1953 –December 30, 1966 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1952.Re-elected in 1954.Re-elected in 1956.Re-elected in 1958.Re-elected in 1960.Re-elected in 1962.Re-elected in 1964.Lost renomination and resigned early. Vacant December 31, 1966 –January 2, 1967 Ray Blanton Democratic January 3, 1967 –January 3, 1973 Elected in 1966.Re-elected in 1968.Re-elected in 1970.Redistricted to the and retired to run for U.S. Senator. Ed Jones Democratic January 3, 1973 –January 3, 1983 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1972.Re-elected in 1974.Re-elected in 1976.Re-elected in 1978.Re-elected in 1980.Redistricted to the . Don Sundquist Republican January 3, 1983 –January 3, 1995 Elected in 1982.Re-elected in 1984.Re-elected in 1986.Re-elected in 1988.Re-elected in 1990.Re-elected in 1992.Retired to run for Governor of Tennessee. Ed Bryant Republican January 3, 1995 –January 3, 2003 Elected in 1994.Re-elected in 1996.Re-elected in 1998.Re-elected in 2000.Retired to run for U.S. Senator. Marsha Blackburn Republican January 3, 2003 –January 3, 2019 Elected in 2002.Re-elected in 2004.Re-elected in 2006.Re-elected in 2008.Re-elected in 2010.Re-elected in 2012.Re-elected in 2014.Re-elected in 2016.Retired to run for U.S. Senator. 2003–2013 2013–2023 Mark Green Republican January 3, 2019 –July 20, 2025 Elected in 2018.Re-elected in 2020.Re-elected in 2022.Re-elected in 2024.Resigned. 2023–2027 Vacant July 21, 2025 –December 4, 2025 Matt Van Epps Republican December 4, 2025 –present Elected to finish Green’s term.
Recent election results