David Hogg speaks onstage during the Fast Company Innovation Festival 2024 at BMCC Tribeca PAC on Sept, 17, 2024, in New York City. (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Fast Company)
Hogg's PAC, Leaders We Deserve, is committed to electing young progressives "who aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo." Earlier this year, the former DNC vice chair sparked tensions within the Democratic Party when he announced a $20 million effort through the outside group to back primary challenges against older, incumbent Democrats he said were "asleep at the wheel."
Hogg announced his exit from DNC leadership in June after members voted to uphold a Credentials Committee resolution, proposed by longtime Democratic activist Kalyn Free, calling for a re-election of two vice chair positions that Hogg and Malcolm Kenyatta had won in the Feb. 1 party elections.
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Since departing the DNC, Hogg has refocused his efforts on electing young, progressive Democrats in elections across the country, including Zohran Mamdani, the socialist who was elected mayor of New York City earlier this month, and failed congressional candidate Deja Foxx, who lost her special election bid in Arizona earlier this year.
On Saturday, Hogg joined Behn in Nashville for a "Young Gets It Done" rally and canvass launch at the Metro Courthouse Public Square.
The 25-year-old activist collaborated with Tennessee High School Democrats, Tennessee College Democrats, Tennessee Young Democrats and the state's Democratic Party in an Instagram post, encouraging young Democrats to get out and support Behn's campaign.
Republican candidate for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District Matt Van Epps talks with attendees before a debate with other candidates at CabaRay Showroom in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (Nicole Hester/The Tennessean/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Behn is vying to replace former Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., in Congress. A Democrat hasn't been elected to represent Tennessee's 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives in decades.
Republican Matt Van Epps, a former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services who has worked for several state agencies, defeated an 11-candidate field to secure the Republican nomination last month.
While Behn has the support of both the Democratic establishment and its progressive wing, Van Epps has secured endorsements from President Donald Trump, Republican Gov. Bill Lee and Green, who retired from Congress after the "big, beautiful bill" passed this year.
Trump held a tele-rally for Van Epps last week in the district the president won by roughly 22 points last year. Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District includes parts of Nashville and its large suburban and rural surrounding areas.
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Riding high on this month's success, DNC Deputy Communications Director Abhi Rahman accused Republicans of "panicking."
"Van Epps is Trump’s hand-picked candidate in an overwhelmingly Republican district, and he’s still in the fight of his life," Rahman charged, arguing that the "DNC will continue fighting like hell to support Rep. Behn’s campaign and ensure Tennesseans have a leader who will fight for them, and not someone like Van Epps who will only fight for Trump."
Fox News Digital reached out to Hogg, Behn and Van Epps but did not immediately receive a response.
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/david-hoggs-campaigns-aoc-tennessee-flip-ruby-red-district-special-election-looms