Matt Van Epps, who stepped down as commissioner for the Tennessee Department of General Services (DGS) on Tuesday, launched a bid for Congress to represent Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District.
Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District is currently represented by incumbent U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07), who, on Monday, announced he will retire from Congress and take a position in the private sector after the U.S. House of Representatives passes the budget reconciliation package.
Van Epps was the first candidate to launch a bid seeking to replace Green in the U.S. House after the congressman’s announcement.
I’m running for Congress in TN-7 to support President Trump and fight for the America First agenda.
Combat vet. Conservative leader. Proven servant.
It’s time to secure the border, protect our values, and put Tennessee first.https://t.co/ZaiBV9rIFd#TN07 #AmericaFirst
— Matt Van Epps, MPA (@matt4tn) June 11, 2025
Van Epps held multiple roles in the administration of Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, including deputy chief operating officer in the Governor’s Office, assistant director of procurement and contracts with the Tennessee Department of Transportation, assistant commissioner with the Tennessee Department of Veterans Services, and most recently as DGS commissioner.
Prior to serving in the Lee administration, Van Epps graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as a commissioned officer and served nine combat deployments, including eight deployments as a “Night Stalker helicopter pilot with Clarksville’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
After 10 years of Active Duty service, Van Epps continues to serve in the Tennessee Army National Guard.
“I didn’t back down in combat, and I won’t back down in Congress. A fierce ally of President Trump, I’ll work with him to advance policies that will usher in America’s Golden Age,” Van Epps said in an exclusive statement to The Tennessee Star.
If elected to Congress, Van Epps said he would “fight to deport illegals, protect girls’ sports against the transgender invasion, cripple Communist China, and work with President Trump to build the biggest, best economy the world has ever seen.”
“There will be no bigger supporter of President Trump and no stronger advocate for the MAGA agenda in Congress than me,” Van Epps added.
Van Epps and Montgomery County Commissioner Jason Knight have emerged as the first official candidates seeking to represent Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District in the days since Green announced his departure from Congress.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Matt Van Epps” by Matt Van Epps and “Rep Mark Green” by Rep. Mark Green.
