Republican primary to succeed Rep. Mark Green heats up in Tennessee

Mary Ellen McIntire, CQ-Roll Call on Jul 7, 2025

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The campaign for the forthcoming special election to succeed Rep. Mark E. Green is heating up as the Tennessee Republican last week formalized his plans to step down.

Green said in a video on social media Friday that he would be resigning his 7th District seat and relinquishing his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee to launch a new business venture.

“I now go back into the private sector to start my own company,” he said. “While I cannot give the details here, I will be doing something specifically designed to help America compete against the (Chinese Communist Party), but this time in business.”

According to Green’s office, his resignation will be effective July 20.

Green announced last month that he would resign from the House after the chamber took its final vote on the GOP’s sweeping tax and spending package. He joined all but two House Republicans in voting for the measure Thursday, and Trump signed the bill into law a day later.

The Republican primary to succeed Green in the 7th District, which includes parts of Nashville and the surrounding areas, grew Monday with state Rep. Jody Barrett launching his campaign.

“I’m the first legislator in Tennessee history to earn a perfect conservative voting record, and I promise to take that same Tennessee toughness to Washington to stand with President Trump and fight the liberal elites trying to destroy our way of life,” Barrett said in a statement.

Other Republicans already in the race include state Rep. Jay Reedy, Montgomery County Commissioner Jason Knight, Army veteran Jon Thorpe and former Tennessee General Services Commissioner Matt Van Epps.

Democrats on Monday got their first candidate in the race, with the entrance of state Rep. Bo Mitchell, but they face an uphill climb in the district that voted for Trump by 22 points last year, according to calculations by The Downballot.

Under state law, Republican Gov. Bill Lee is required to call for a special election within 10 days of a vacancy. Primaries would be held within 55 and 60 days of the governor’s announcement, while the special general election would take place within 100 and 107 days of the official vacancy.

Once Green’s resignation takes effect, Republicans will hold 219 seats in the House to 212 for the Democrats, with three seats vacant due to the deaths of Democratic incumbents.

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