A US election once written off as a routine Republican win has turned into an unexpected test of president Donald Trump's political strength -- and a warning flare for a party already nervous about its paper-thin majority in Congress.

Trump isn't on Tuesday's ballot for the House of Representatives seat in Tennessee's 7th District -- but his shadow looms large over the special election in what was one of his party's safest strongholds -- a district he carried by 22 points in 2024.

But Republicans are scrambling to avoid humiliation in what was once viewed as a sleepy contest, as polls show a race too close for comfort.

A Democratic upset -- or even a narrow Republican win -- would jolt Washington and deepen Republican fears of losing the House in 2026. With only a two-vote cushion on th

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