by Rod Williams, Oct. 6, 2025- The primary election is tomorrow and 11 Republicans are on the ballot seeking the nomination to be the Republican candidate in the general election.
The Seventh Congressional District is overwhelmingly a Republican District, so whoever wins the Republican nomination will most likely be the next Congressman from that district. So, while we are more than likely going to end up with a Trump loyalist with no backbone to oppose Trump's march toward authoritarianism, I still think it is better to have a smart, thoughtful person who knows what he is doing is wrong rather than one who is an absolute non-thinking Trump sycophant. That is to say, I would rather have someone like Mark Green than someone like Andy Ogles.
I have already voted, voting on the last day of early voting. I voted for Matt Van Epps. Normally, I wait until Election Day to vote, but I was supposed to be out of town tomorrow. As it turns out, my plans fell through, and I am not out of town. If I had not already voted, I would have to rethink my vote. The reason is that Matt Van Epps has received the endorsement of Donald Trump. If Van Epps is Trump's preferred candidate, he can't be very good.
I studied each of the candidates, read the mailers they sent me, visited their websites, examined their ads, took note of who was endorsing whom, and watched the videoed candidate forums, and reached my decision to vote for Matt Van Epps. I was confident I had selected the best candidate until he got the Trump endorcement.
While all of the candidates to one degree or another, pledged their support for Donald Trump and his agenda, Van Epps seemed the least dogmatic. Many of the candidates seem like thoughtless followers in a cult rather than thoughtful people. In some ways, Van Epps is boring. He talks about policy. He doesn't rant about the social issues and doesn't go on about a stolen election. He doesn't spread conspiracy theories. He sounds reasonable and responsible. He seems to most resemble a pre-Trump era normal Republican.
Reasoning that Van Epps seemed the least "Trumpy" of the candidates, I was surprised that Donald Trump endorsed Matt Van Epps. If I had not already voted, I might just skip voting, or I might vote in the Democratic primary or vote in the Republican primary for a different candidate. Since the Trump endorsement of Van Epps has caused me to rethink my own vote, I cannot offer much guidance as for whom to vote.
Below are the Republican candidates for the Seventh Congressional District, with links to their websites, Facebook pages and other sources of information and prominent endorcements.
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| Jody Barrett |
Rep. Jody Barrett: Dickson attorney Barrett has served in the Tennessee General Assembly since his 2020 election. Barrett received a perfect score from the Trumpian Tennessee Legislative Report Card, which is operated in partnership with Tennessee Stands. If you don't know Tennessee Stands, they are a kooky Trumpy outfit. Getting their endorsement is a disqualifier for me.
Barrett has come under a vicious, sleazzy attack by a group affiliated with the Club for Growth due to his opposition to Gov. Lee's school voucher program. While I personally support school choice, I think the attacks against Barrett are disgusting and I briefly considered voting for him simply because I am repulsed by the attack ads. For more on this and to see the ad, go to
I am Almost Persuaded to Vote for Jody Barrett Due to this Disgusting Attack Ad.
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| Gino Bulso |
Rep. Gino Bulso: A Brentwood trial lawyer specializing in personal injury suits, Bulso was elected to the legislature in 2022. He has said focusing on the national debt will be a priority.
Facebook:
Gino Bulso for Congress
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| Lee Reeves |
Rep. Lee Reeves: Reeves, of Franklin, won the Republican primary for House District 65 by less than 100 votes in August 2024, before going on to win the general election. Reeves’ wife, Claire, serves on the Williamson County School Board.
After Trump endorsed Van Epps, Reeves announced he was withdrawing from the race, but his name will still be on the ballot.
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| Matt Van Epps |
Matt Van Epps: Van Epps is the former Tennessee commissioner of General Services under Gov. Bill Lee. Prior to that, he worked as vice president of Main Street Health, which coordinates care for Medicare patients in rural clinics. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Van Epps is a lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee National Guard. Van Epps.
Van Epps has received the endorsement of President Donald J. Trump, Governor Bill Lee, Congressman Mark Green and Congressman Jim Jordan. Also, he has been endorsed by a bunch of mayors and vice mayors and city councilmen of the various cities in the Seventh Congressional District.
Stewart Parks: Parks, a Nashville real estate agent, served time in federal prison for his participation in the Jan. 6, insurrection, in which he was charged with disorderly conduct, intent to impede and disrupt the operations of Congress and property theft. President Donald Trump pardoned Parks in January 2025 as part of his general pardon of those who took part in the J6 insurrection. Website: https://parksfortn.com/
Stewart Cooper: Cooper, of Franklin, works in sales for Flagler Technologies, a Florida-based provider of information technology services. His website says nothing Trumpian and that is a plus.
Adolph Agbéko Dagan: No information is available for Dagan. I may vote for Daagan, simply because I know nothing about him and assume he is not a serious candidate, so a vote for Dagan, is sort like voting for "none of the above."
Mason Foley: Foley, of Franklin, served as a staff member for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, from 2020-2022 before joining Main Street Health, which works with Medicaid patients in rural areas.
Foley has received the endorsement of former Metro Nashville mayoral candidate Alice Rolli.
Among the candidates who are not being considered major candidates, it looks like Foley should be, and maybe the polls are wrong. He strikes me as top-tier material and he does have ads running on TV. I do not know how old he is, but he calls himself Gen Z and appears young. While his website pledges his support for the Trump agenda, he does not stoke the culture wars and his tone is less vitriolic than some of the other candidates. I am considering voting for him.
Jason D. Knight: Knight formerly served on the Clarksville City Council and is currently a member of the Montgomery County Commission. He works in information systems management and served nine years on active duty with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, which is based in Clarksville.
I like the tone of his campaign as expressed on his website and his common-sense, traditional conservative policy positions. He checks the Trump loyalty box without overdoing it. I could vote for him.
Joe Leurs: Leurs is a retired non-commissioned officer with the U.S. Marines and retired from the Metro Nashville Police Department. Website:
https://www.joeleurs-tn.com/
Tres Wittum: Wittum is a former Tennessee Senate staff member who ran for Congress in Tennessee’s 5th District in 2022. He also ran for U.S. Senate against incumbent Sen. Marsha Blackburn in 2024. Website:
https://treswittum.com/ If you are considering voting in the Democrat primary, for information on Democratic candidates, see
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