AFP’s new poll shows TN-7 wide open, but Lee Reeves’ spending blitz isn’t translating to support. Barrett, Bulso & Van Epps gain ground by showing up, while Reeves hides behind pollsters tied to Big Pharma & the GOP establishment.
The latest Americans for Prosperity/WTN poll, conducted by Spry Strategies, reinforces a theme that’s been consistent across every straw poll of Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District special election: Jody Barrett, Gino Bulso, Matt Van Epps, and Lee Reeves are the only Republicans showing meaningful support in a crowded field of 11 candidates.
But this poll stands out from the pack. Americans for Prosperity (AFP) poured significant resources into Reeves’ state house campaign in 2024 and helped fuel his political rise. The group is still widely perceived as an ally of Reeves, which makes his results in this survey all the more striking. If there was ever a poll Reeves expected to dominate, it was this one. Instead, he remains stuck in a four-way logjam, far from the breakout moment his spending spree was supposed to deliver.
