Tuesday’s special election in Tennessee’s deep red 7th district should cause the Republican Party to “wake up” and “start paying attention to [its] base,” according to Republican Rep. Tim Burchett. Burchett told Fox News on Tuesday morning that he’s concerned about “homegrown Marxists,” including Democratic candidate Aftyn Behn, becoming competitive against Republicans in conservative districts. Burchett pointed out that Behn was “educated in Knoxville, Tennessee.” “It’s not these people moving in from New York, California, or Chicago, even. It’s our own homegrown Marxists that we’re bringing up,” said Burchett, pushing back on a common complaint from Tennessee Republicans, who argue that people who move from blue states are making Tennessee more liberal. “We’ve got to start paying attention to our base and what the heck is going on.” Burchett argued that Republican Matt Van Epps is “one of the best candidates I’ve ever seen.” “This is the proverbial canary in the cave,” the congressman added. “If Matt Van Epps, a qualified candidate in a district that Trump won by over 15 points, can’t carry this thing, we’re in trouble. Republicans are asleep at the switch. We pay attention to presidents, because President Trump is a great president. We should be paying attention to him, but when it gets down to the other races, we forget about it.” Democrats and Republicans have poured millions of dollars into the special election, as polls showed that Behn has a chance to keep the race close. Burchett said Tennessee’s 7th district shouldn’t even be considered a possibility for Democrats to flip. Burchett blamed low turnout from Evangelical Christians and gun owners as the main reason that Republicans often struggle in special elections and off-year elections. 50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at DailyWire.com/cyberweek. “It should not even be a race,” he said. “[Behn] is a Marxist, and she’s not even a friendly Marxist like AOC.” Democrats believe that Behn, who has advocated for abolishing police departments and supports gender procedures on children, has a chance to pull off a remarkable upset and flip the Tennessee district to the Democratic Party. The 7th district seat went up for grabs after Republican Rep. Mark Green retired earlier this year. Polling results, released by Emerson College and The Hill on Monday, showed Behn trailing Van Epps by just two points. Along with pushing leftist policies, Behn has also been criticized for saying that she hates Nashville, parts of which she is running to represent. “I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country,” Behn said during a 2020 podcast appearance. President Donald Trump and Republican leaders have emphasized the importance of the special election for the GOP heading into the 2026 midterm elections. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) campaigned with Van Epps in Franklin, Tennessee, on Monday alongside Tennessee Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty. Trump also called into Monday’s rally and addressed the crowd over speaker phone, The Daily Wire previously reported. Prominent Democrats have rallied around Behn, with former Vice President Al Gore, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) joining a virtual rally with Behn on Monday night.