Andy Ogles loses Tennessee Republican primary despite Trump endorsement

Aug 7, 2026

In a major primary upset on August 6, 2026, former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher defeated incumbent Representative Andy Ogles in the Republican primary for Tennessee's redrawn 5th Congressional District. Despite receiving a last-minute endorsement and tele-rally from Donald Trump, Ogles fell short after being dogged by a House Ethics investigation and backlash over anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ social media posts. Hatcher, boosted by $2 million from the clean-energy-backed Invest in Tomorrow Coalition, will face Democratic Mayor Chaz Molder in November.

Ogles primary defeat

▪Charlie Hatcher will face Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, who won the Democratic primary, in the November 2026 general election for Tennessee's 5th Congressional District.
▪Former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher defeated incumbent Representative Andy Ogles in the Republican primary for Tennessee's 5th Congressional District on August 6, 2026.
▪Representative Andy Ogles became the third House Republican to lose a renomination bid in 2026, following primary defeats of Representatives Daniel Crenshaw of Texas and Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

Trump endorsement track record

▪President Donald Trump defended his endorsement record on Truth Social on August 7, 2026, stating he went 8-1 in recent endorsements and remained loyal to Representative Andy Ogles despite him having virtually no chance of winning.
▪The defeat of Representative Andy Ogles marked the second loss for a Trump-backed House candidate in the same week, following Amir Hassan's primary defeat to Tom Smith in Michigan on August 5, 2026.
▪Representative Andy Ogles lost the August 6, 2026 primary despite receiving a public endorsement and a tele-rally from President Donald Trump hours before the polls closed.

Ogles controversies investigations

▪Representative Andy Ogles faced public backlash and bipartisan condemnation for social media posts stating that homosexuality has no place in America and that Muslims do not belong in American society.
▪Representative Andy Ogles has been the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation into whether he violated campaign finance laws and falsified his campaign disclosures.

Tennessee redistricting impact

▪The redrawn 5th Congressional District is more advantageous to Republicans, shifting from a district Donald Trump would have won by 18 points in 2024 to one he would have carried by 23 points.
▪Tennessee's 5th Congressional District was redrawn in May 2026 to snake from Memphis to the Kentucky border, leaving Representative Andy Ogles with a district composed of mostly new constituents.
▪In Tennessee's redrawn 9th Congressional District, Democratic State Representative Justin Pearson will face Trump-backed Republican State Senator Brent Taylor in the general election.

Campaign funding outside spending

▪The Freedom Caucus Fund spent $780,000 on television advertisements to support Representative Andy Ogles prior to his primary defeat.
▪Democratic nominee Chaz Molder led all candidates in fundraising for the 5th Congressional District, raising $2.6 million and holding $1.5 million in cash by mid-July 2026.
▪Charlie Hatcher's campaign was boosted by $2 million in outside spending from the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC, a group backed by clean energy investors targeting politicians who oppose green energy credits.

Tennessee gubernatorial race

▪Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn won a three-way primary on August 6, 2026, to secure the GOP nomination to succeed term-limited Governor Bill Lee.
▪Democratic nominee Jeri Green, a Memphis City Councilmember, will face Republican Marsha Blackburn in the general election, guaranteeing Tennessee will elect its first female governor.