With Tennessee Congressman Mark Green (R-7) announcing his resignation from Congress effective June 20, 2025 an increasingly long list of those seeking to fill the seat is shaping up.

Governor Bill Lee will have up to 10 days following Green’s resignation to set special election dates for the Primary and General Elections. Under Tennessee law, Lee must schedule the Primary within 50-55 days after he acts, with the General Election following within 50-55 days thereafter.

Essentially, we are already likely within 75 days of the Primary date, with the early voting period beginning as soon as 20 days earlier!

This compressed schedule will leave candidates scrambling for money immediately, with those who cannot “self-fund” at a serious disadvantage.

The district includes parts of north Davidson County, Clarksville, half of Williamson County, and about a dozen other counties. Because it is a Special Election, current members of the Tennessee House and Senate can run without having to give up their seats, unlike those opting to run in a normal election cycle.

Several legislators have quickly announced their intentions to run, including Republican Representatives Jay Reedy, Jody Barrett, and Lee Reeves, and Nashville Democrats Aftyn Behn and Bo Mitchell. Others who have entered the race so far are Jason Knight, a Montgomery County Commissioner; Jonathan Thorp, a Clarksville Army veteran; and Matt Van Epps, who recently resigned as Tennessee Commissioner of General Services.

Former Williamson County GOP State Representative Brandon Ogles, a cousin of 5th District Congressman Andy Ogles, is reportedly considering a run as well. Clarksville Republican State Senator Bill Powers has opted out of running. There are several others rumored to be considering entering the race, including activist Robbie Starbuck and Savannah Chrisley, whose reality show parents were recently pardoned by President Trump. In a crowded field, a Republican primary could possibly be won with as little as 30% of the vote.

At this stage, it is difficult to determine if national groups like Club for Growth, the Freedom Caucus, or Americans for Prosperity will become involved in the Republican primary, despite exerting influence and spending funds in Tennessee races in recent years. Additionally, though candidates on the GOP side are tying themselves to President Trump right out of the blocks, it seems unlikely that he will weigh in with an endorsement at this point. Nevertheless, embracing Trump policies and focusing on illegal immigration will likely be the top issues embraced by the Republican hopefuls, while the Democrats will each try to be more vocal in their opposition to Trump than their opponent during the primary phase.

Whoever prevails in the General Election will not have time to breathe before launching, or continuing, their campaign for the full term with an August 2026 primary staring them in the face immediately after securing victory in the Special Election.

Steve Gill is the Publisher of TriStar Daily and a Republican political analyst and strategist.