CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – With Election Day approaching, three of the candidates vying for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District seat faced off recently at a political forum hosted by the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Clarksville. The event was focused on some of the country’s most pressing issues – from immigration and healthcare to the Epstein files and the economy.
Moderator Van Stokes led the discussion, which featured Democratic nominee state Rep. Aftyn Behn, and independent candidates Jonathan Thorp and Teresa Christie. Also invited were Republican nominee Matt Van Epps and independent candidates Robert James Sutherby and Bobby Dodge; they did not attend.
District 7 encompasses parts of Middle and West Tennessee, with a large portion of voters residing in Montgomery County, Davidson County, and Williamson County. The forum was videotaped by Goodwin Productions for the Clarksville Community Network.
Opening remarks from candidates
The candidates began by sharing what motivated them to enter the race and what they hope to bring to Washington.
Jonathan Thorp said he entered the race out of frustration with politicians not representing the people. “Today in Washington, standing on principle and doing what you think is right is punished, while conformity and towing the line gets you promoted,” Thorp said. “I had to stand up and do what I think every citizen should do: stand up for what’s right.”
Teresa “Terri” Christie promised “Southern grit, common sense and Tennessee values,” saying she’s ready to fight government waste and overreach. “It’s time to cut the waste, trim the fat, and put government back in its place,” she said. “Together we can right the ship because we’re Americans and we refuse to sink.”
Aftyn Behn described herself as a “political outsider” focused on affordability. “Right now, everything costs more – gas, groceries, healthcare – and nobody in D.C. seems to be telling you the truth,” she said. “Here’s the truth: We can simplify the tax code to work for the middle class, not the mega-rich.”
On immigration, ICE deportations
After sharing their opening statements, the conversation turned to one of the most divisive issues on the national stage: immigration enforcement and ICE deportations.
Thorp said there were “very valid concerns” about the way immigration enforcement has been handled. “I think the way it’s being done currently is overly aggressive and needs to be re-examined,” he said.
Christie said Congress has failed to define key immigration terms and enforce laws properly. “And our Congress has not done basic things like define birthright (citizenship). It’s time that we get to the bottom of this,” she said.
Behn said that both parties share blame for the immigration dilemma, adding that “immigrants are not the reason our grocery prices are high. Tennesseans are paying more because Washington is broken.”
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Top 3 priorities for each candidate
The panel asked each candidate to outline their top three priorities if elected to Congress.
Christie listed healthcare and eldercare as her No. 1 priority. “Our elderly should not be housed with no dignity and no privacy,” she said. “Immigration is No. 2 on that. … And No. 3 is the budget, reining in excessive government spending and overzealous bureaucracy.”
Behn said her first goal would be renewing Affordable Care Act subsidies. “That is the No. 1 priority for me, making sure working Tennesseans can afford marketplace healthcare,” she said. Her other goals included rolling back budget cuts from the “big ugly bill” and cutting back on tariffs hurting working families.
Thorp said his focus would be on a balanced budget. “The deficit spending the government does … makes all the prices go up,” he said. Thorp also wants to prioritize stabilizing the economy and improving elections. “I think in order to give people an actual real choice, we need to have election reform.”
On accountability and government shutdown
With the federal government shutdown dragging into its third week, candidates were asked how they would hold their own parties accountable.
Behn said she’s voted with her constituents over party interests while serving in the Tennessee Legislature. “I’m my own person, and I will always have the best interest of the 7th Congressional District at heart before any party,” she said.
Thorp called for ending large “continuing resolution” spending bills and instead passing multiple budgets each year. “I would say about one spending bill every single month … so we never get to the point where we’re looking at a shutdown,” he said.
Christie said both parties have acted “like crime rings,” adding that they use “extortion-like tactics” to get what they want. “I’ll fight to make the system fair, and I’ll represent the people of District 7, not a party,” she said.
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On releasing the Epstein files
The forum then shifted to a less traditional but headline-grabbing topic: the release of the Epstein files. All three candidates agreed that the files need to be released.
Thorp called it a “proxy for corruption and transparency.” He expressed that if the government is working for the people, then the files should be released. “All they’re doing is protecting people in high places, and the people see it,” he said.
Christie, referencing her experience as a mother of an abuse victim, praised Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for pushing for the files’ release. “Politicians protecting perverts needs to stop. That’s just good old boy politics and it needs to end,” she said.
Behn said she would vote to make the files public, adding that she’s been a “watchdog” for more transparency from the government. “I’ve committed to releasing the Epstein files as a vote in Congress because Epstein’s victims and survivors deserve justice,” she said.
Supporting small businesses
The candidates were asked about supporting small businesses and strengthening the local economy.
Christie said she’s a former business owner who understands the struggles small businesses are facing. “Our small businesses should be building prosperity, not battling red tape from unelected regulators who stifle innovation and punish success,” she said.
Behn said she has “worked to reform the tax code in favor of small businesses.” She also spoke in support of policies that would ease the “regulatory burdens” and help businesses gain “stronger access to capital.”
Thorp said ending lobbyist-written legislation would level the playing field. “There should never be a case where a small business has an effective tax rate that is higher than a multinational corporation. That is an abysmal practice that needs to end,” he said.
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On tariffs, trade policy
Trade policy and tariffs became the next focal point, as candidates gave feedback on how the tariffs were executed and their impact on the economy.
Thorp voiced concerns about its impact on international trade and expressed displeasure with the way the tariffs were implemented. “I think the tariffs as executed by President Trump are unconstitutional. The Constitution explicitly gives the power of the purse to Congress, and a tariff is a tax,” he said.
Christie called the current tariffs “temporary sanctions” and said Congress needs to better represent the people. “Congress needs to do its job for a change and get these things taken care of. Don’t blame the executive. Congress doesn’t do its job, so he is doing everything he can,” she said.
Behn said the tariffs hurt the economy, and she pointed to the local impact. “I don’t think we have to look any further than what’s happening in Tennessee with our soybean farmers who are screaming for support and trade, but not aid,” she said. Behn later added if the tariffs were “done correctly” then it could have boosted American manufacturing.
Veterans’ care, benefits, housing
As the forum neared its end, the conversation turned to veterans’ issues – a particularly important topic for the district, which includes Fort Campbell.
Behn called homelessness among veterans an “epidemic,” promising to fully fund the VA while ending privatization. “The best way for me to serve is to honor the contract that our service members signed up for: healthcare that works, housing that’s affordable, and government that keeps its promises,” she said.
Thorp criticized the nation’s “military industrial complex,” arguing the U.S. focuses on “quantity, not quality.” He also expressed some of the issues veterans are facing. “So while we have the largest military budget on the planet, people who are actually serving … are having to rely on food stamps, having housing issues, food scarcity – the list goes on,” he said.
Christie pointed out that veterans today should not have to “fight for benefits they already earned,” saying they are not provided the same opportunities they were in the past. “The veterans of the Greatest Generation knew that they needed to come home, and that there would be help for them. … We’re not doing that for our veterans today,” she said.
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Closing remarks from candidates
In closing remarks, the candidates summarized their platforms and made their final appeals to voters.
Behn said she is determined to build an economy that “works for all of us,” while holding both parties accountable. “Life isn’t affordable right now, but we can lower costs for Clarksville families. And what I’ve learned in social work and public service is that what you pay attention to grows,” she said.
Christie described herself as a “real person representing real people,” while criticizing Van Epps’ absence from the forum. She later added, “We must never again tolerate this anti-American overreach. … I’m running to put the government back straight. … Most of us are actually independents at heart, and I’m asking for your vote,” she said.
Thorp said that in our current government, “conformity gets you promoted,” and he called for more integrity in politics. “We need to return the power to hands of the people. America works best when American people have the courage to stand up for what’s right. … The Constitution was written not to protect the parties but to protect the people,” he said.
Election details
The 7th Congressional District race will be decided in the special election on Dec. 2. The winner will succeed U.S. Rep. Mark Green, who announced earlier this year he will not seek re-election.
Early voting runs from Nov. 12-26 at the Election Commission, 350 Pageant Lane. Montgomery County early voting hours can be found on TNMap. Voter registration closes Nov. 2, and absentee ballot requests are due no later than Nov. 26.