State Representative Jody Barrett (R-Dickson) said during his Tuesday concession speech that he “didn’t really want to win” the Republican primary contest to select the party’s nominee for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. He had just lost the election to Matt Van Epps, the veteran and former state official who, last Friday, was endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Though conceding the race to Van Epps following his landslide victory, securing about 52 percent of the vote compared to the 25 percent of the Republican electorate who voted for Barrett, the Dickson County Republican did not endorse his former opponent.
“I didn’t really want to win this thing anyway. I never wanted to run for an office in D.C., but this was an opportunity that opened up, and a lot of people came and lifted me up and kind of pushed me to take a run at this. It was something that I felt like I was being called to do,” said Barrett, according to Nashville Scene, after noting that such remarks would raise the ire of his campaign manager.
Though Barrett’s campaign was endorsed by the House Freedom Fund, whose affiliated super PAC spent more than $450,000 to support his candidacy, Barrett seemed to lay the blame for his defeat at the feet of the “D.C. establishment,” in which he appeared to include Trump, per reporting from The Tennessean.
“I just went up against $2 million from D.C. establishment money and the President of the United States,” said Barrett, apparently referencing the endorsement of Van Epps by Trump. “And we had them scared to death, y’all. We got in their pocketbook.”
Barrett ultimately congratulated Van Epps in a video posted to social media on Wednesday. He wrote, “He and his team ran a tremendous campaign, and I am confident they will continue that effort through the general election in December.”
Van Epps may have benefited from two late endorsements that followed the president’s, as State Representative Lee Reeves (R-Franklin) and businessman Stuart Cooper withdrew from the race and backed the former Tennessee state official after Trump’s endorsement.
After the race was called, Reeves expressed a desire for party unity in a congratulatory message sent to Van Epps in a post to X.
“Congratulations Matt. You ran a strong campaign and earned the President’s endorsement. I look forward to working hard for you in the General Election to send you to Congress,” wrote Reeves. “We must always beat the Democrats and their radical woke agenda.”
Congratulations Matt. You ran a strong campaign and earned the President's endorsement. I look forward to working hard for you in the General Election to send you to Congress. We must always beat the Democrats and their radical woke agenda.
— Lee Reeves (@LeeReevesTN) October 8, 2025
Van Epps will face State Representative Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville), who is often described as the “AOC of Tennessee,” after she narrowly secured the Democratic Party’s nomination on Tuesday.
The general election will be held on December 2, giving the candidates less than two months to make their case before voters.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Jody Barrett” by Jody Barrett.
