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Matt Van Epps
Office history
Current office and 2026 campaign
Matthew Robert Van Epps is the Republican U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District, having won a December 2, 2025, special election with 53.9% of the vote. The seat had been vacated when former Rep. Mark Green resigned in July 2025. Van Epps was sworn in on December 4, 2025.
Van Epps is a fiscal conservative supporting extending tax cuts, completing the border wall, deregulation, school choice, and Second Amendment protections.
Background and education
Van Epps was born March 29, 1983, in Ohio, and graduated from Mentor High School. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2005 and later earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Career
Van Epps served ten years on active duty as an Army aviation officer in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. He received the Air Medal with "V" device, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal. He holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Tennessee Army National Guard. After leaving active duty, he served as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services under Governor Bill Lee and as deputy chief operating officer in the governor's office. In the 119th Congress, he serves on the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Family
Van Epps is married to Meg Wrather. They have one daughter and reside in Nashville, Tennessee.
Sources
Public filings
Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record — search by last name on each.
Tennessee — campaign finance (search)
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State offices (Governor, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee, statewide judiciary) —
Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.
Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “Van Epps”, and submit.
US House, US Senate, and Presidential candidates file with the FEC — see the federal section below. - County and municipal offices (County Mayor, Commissioner, Sheriff, School Board, court clerks, municipal alderman, etc.) — most major TN counties use the EasyVote portal. Select the relevant county and search by candidate name (“Van Epps”).
Tennessee — statement of interest
- Required for state and local officials and candidates — Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search. Enter last name “Van Epps”and, if needed, select the applicable position.
Federal offices — campaign finance
- US House, US Senate, and Presidential candidates file with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), not with state systems — FEC candidate search. Filter by office, state, and cycle to narrow the results. Financial disclosures (personal assets and income) for members of Congress and congressional candidates are filed with the US House Clerk or US Senate Office of Public Records, depending on the office.