Trump, Harris Allies Floodโ Tennessee โขwith Cash as Special Electionโ Becomes National Battleground
NASHVILLE, TN – A Tennessee โคspecial election โคto fill the vacantโ 5th Congressional District seat is rapidly escalating into a high-stakes, multi-million dollar contest, drawing intervention from figures aligned with bothโข former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.โค The race, initially viewed as a local affair, has become a marquee battleground as national political forces seek to influence the outcome.
the election was triggered by the expulsion of โขformer Representative Andy ogles, and โขnow features Republican candidate Kurt Van Eppsโ against Democrat Keeda Haynes and independent Jon Thorp. Vanโ Epps,initially aligned with Trump’s positions,recently โshifted his stance on releasing documents โขrelated to Jeffrey Epsteinโ after theโฃ former president endorsedโฃ their disclosure โ- a move โhighlighted byโข opponents. โHe previously opposed a House vote toโฃ force โขthe Justice Department โคtoโค disclose more documents, butโ changedโ his stance after Trump backed the measure this week.
Meanwhile, Democratic allies are activelyโ working to undermine Van Epps by promoting Thorp, a โคconservativeโค independent. Your Community PAC, having already spent over $16 million nationally supportingโข Democratic candidates, is deploying mailers branding Van Epps as a “hedge fund billionaire-backed RINO” in an effort to sway Republican voters. The PAC’s funding โคlargely originates โfrom north Fund, a nonprofit supporting left-leaning advocacy groups.
The influx of money isn’t one-sided. Conservatives for American Excellence, backed byโค megadonor Ken Griffin, is investing overโค $600,000 in advertisementsโค opposing Democratic candidateโ keeda Haynes. the Club for Growth, a prominent pro-school voucher organization, is also targeting Haynes, spending $300,000 on advertising focused on past remarks where she described herself as “radical.”
Keeda Haynes’ campaign has positioned itselfโ as a voiceโ for those “upset โabout the cost of living and the chaos of Washington,” according to statements made by Haynes at a recent Nashville rally. She has publicly condemned Trump’s tax and spending legislation, dubbed the “One Big Gorgeous Bill,”โค and his โฃtariffs, policies Van Epps supports.
Tennessee political strategist Chip saltsman, โฃwhile predictingโ a Van Epps victory, acknowledges the increasedโค spending could narrow his margin of win.”They’re doing everything they need to do,”โ Saltsmanโ said, suggesting Republicans “take a extra couple swigsโ of Pepto Bismol on election โnight.”
