Each cell paraphrases what the candidate says they will do, from their own campaign materials, questionnaires, or interviews. Rows are shared issue categories; only categories at least one candidate addressed are shown.
Issue
Matt Van Epps Republican
Darden Copeland Democratic
Lowell Reynolds Independent
Economy & jobs
Cut red tape, bring manufacturing back to the U.S., expand American energy production, and pass legislation to regulate and encourage innovation in cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence.[1]
Protect working Americans and the small businesses that employ them.[2]
Reduce unnecessary burdens, encourage small business growth, and protect fair competition.[3]
Taxes & spending
No stated position
Make corporations and the wealthiest pay their fair share instead of the middle class.[2][4][5]
No stated position
Cost of living & housing
No stated position
Take on price gouging, expand affordable housing, cap prescription drug prices, and make child care affordable.[4]
No stated position
Health care
No stated position
Protect Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security from cuts and privatization, oppose raising the retirement age, lower prescription drug costs, and keep rural hospitals open.[4]
No stated position
Public safety & justice
Train federal law enforcement officers to conduct lethality assessments in domestic violence cases and connect high-risk victims with crisis hotlines (SHIELD for Victims Act).[6]
No stated position
No stated position
Immigration
Finish the border wall and give Border Patrol more support to stop fentanyl and human trafficking.[1]
No stated position
No stated position
Firearms
Defend the Second Amendment right of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms.[1]
No stated position
No stated position
Abortion
Protect unborn life and keep taxpayer dollars from funding abortion.[1]
No stated position
No stated position
Government & elections
No stated position
Ban stock trading by members of Congress, their families, and executive branch officials; enact term limits; refuse corporate PAC money; and act as a check on any president.[2][4]
Have Congress reclaim its constitutional role, defend the separation of powers, and keep as much money out of politics as possible.[3][7]
Agriculture & rural
Protect farmers from overregulation and foreign land purchases, defend property rights, and expand rural health care.[1]
No stated position
No stated position
Military & veterans
Reform the VA and cut red tape so veterans can get the health care and benefits they earned.[1]
No stated position
No stated position
Foreign policy & national security
Support Israel and oppose Iran's aggression; reduce U.S. dependence on China by funding domestic critical mineral processing.[1][8]
No stated position
No stated position
No published platform found (checked October 13, 2026) for: Andrew J. Koontz.
U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 7th District since December 4, 2025, after winning a special election to succeed Mark Green.[9][10]
Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.[10]
Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services; earlier Deputy Chief Operating Officer in the Tennessee Governor's Office.[9]
Served ten years on active duty as an Army aviator, deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan, including with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment; later a Lieutenant Colonel in the Tennessee Army National Guard.[9]
Graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[9][10]
Why they're running
He says he is running on the same message of security, opportunity, and prosperity he ran on in the 2025 special election, and that he is committed to strengthening national security, growing the economy, and delivering results for the people he serves. His campaign says he will work with the current administration to secure the border, rebuild military strength, and rein in federal spending.[1][9][11]
Platform
Economy & jobs
Cut red tape, bring manufacturing back to the U.S., expand American energy production, and pass legislation to regulate and encourage innovation in cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence.[1]
Public safety & justice
Train federal law enforcement officers to conduct lethality assessments in domestic violence cases and connect high-risk victims with crisis hotlines (SHIELD for Victims Act).[6]
Immigration
Finish the border wall and give Border Patrol more support to stop fentanyl and human trafficking.[1]
Firearms
Defend the Second Amendment right of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms.[1]
Abortion
Protect unborn life and keep taxpayer dollars from funding abortion.[1]
Agriculture & rural
Protect farmers from overregulation and foreign land purchases, defend property rights, and expand rural health care.[1]
Military & veterans
Reform the VA and cut red tape so veterans can get the health care and benefits they earned.[1]
Foreign policy & national security
Support Israel and oppose Iran's aggression; reduce U.S. dependence on China by funding domestic critical mineral processing.[1][8]
Arguments
Arguments for
Local police and domestic violence advocates say his bill to train federal officers in lethality assessments would bring a proven, life-saving approach to more victims.[6]
As a West Point graduate and combat-decorated Army helicopter pilot, he brings firsthand knowledge of what it takes to defend the country and support service members and veterans.[9][12]
As a state commissioner he oversaw procurement, real estate, and operations involving billions of taxpayer dollars and delivered efficiency, transparency, and measurable cost savings.[9]
Arguments against
A pending ethics complaint, not yet acted on by House investigators, alleges that a senior adviser paid by his congressional office was also paid by his campaign, and asks whether taxpayer-funded staff did campaign work; his office calls the complaint misleading, factually unsupported, and based on a misunderstanding of the law.[13][14]
He has kept a low profile in the campaign, rarely attending events or speaking with voters, as if taking their votes for granted; he has also declined to debate.[11][15]
He has backed the current administration's tariffs and military campaign instead of acting as an independent check on the executive branch.[11]
Elder at Woodmont Christian Church; board member of Historic Nashville, Inc.[2]
Why they're running
He says Congress has abandoned the middle class, raising costs and adding trillions to the national debt while cutting safety-net programs such as Medicaid, and he wants to bring his career of advocating for working and middle-class families to Washington. He says too many members of Congress are more loyal to the President and party leaders than to their constituents, and that he would restore checks and balances.[2][4][5]
Platform
Economy & jobs
Protect working Americans and the small businesses that employ them.[2]
Taxes & spending
Make corporations and the wealthiest pay their fair share instead of the middle class.[2][4][5]
Cost of living & housing
Take on price gouging, expand affordable housing, cap prescription drug prices, and make child care affordable.[4]
Health care
Protect Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security from cuts and privatization, oppose raising the retirement age, lower prescription drug costs, and keep rural hospitals open.[4]
Government & elections
Ban stock trading by members of Congress, their families, and executive branch officials; enact term limits; refuse corporate PAC money; and act as a check on any president.[2][4]
Arguments
Arguments for
He has campaigned actively across the redrawn district, appearing at many events and forums to listen to voters.[15]
He would be an independent check on the executive branch and has pledged to call out corruption in his own party, backed by a refusal to take corporate PAC money.[4][11]
He is not a career politician; as a business owner he has spent years building consensus and winning approvals for projects such as rural hospitals, affordable housing, and solar farms in communities of both parties.[4][5]
Arguments against
He has declined to debate his opponent before the election.[11]
He appealed to a different set of voters in the last race than he is courting now, so it is hard to know how he would vote in Washington.[11][15]
Andrew J. KoontzIndependent
Portland
Why they're running
No stated reason found (checked October 13, 2026).
Platform
No published platform found (checked October 13, 2026).
Arguments
Arguments for
No published arguments found (checked October 13, 2026).
Arguments against
No published arguments found (checked October 13, 2026).
Music producer and audio engineer for more than 20 years; received a Grammy statuette for his engineering work.[3][7]
Bachelor's degree from Indiana University East School of Business and Economics (2019); third-year law student at Syracuse University College of Law.[3][7]
Why they're running
He says Congress has failed to do its job and has handed too much power to the executive branch, and that he is running to restore checks and balances. He says he is not beholden to either party and wants to represent the people of the district rather than a party or special interest.[3][7]
Platform
Economy & jobs
Reduce unnecessary burdens, encourage small business growth, and protect fair competition.[3]
Government & elections
Have Congress reclaim its constitutional role, defend the separation of powers, and keep as much money out of politics as possible.[3][7]
Arguments
Arguments for
Not tied to either party, he would bring an independent voice that listens to all sides and focuses on solutions for the district.[3]
His business degree, two decades in the music industry, and legal training give him practical insight into budgets, small businesses, and the Constitution.[3]
Arguments against
No published arguments found (checked October 13, 2026).
Sources (16)
Listed in numeric order. Numbers match the markers in the text above.