Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles loses GOP primary to Charlie Hatcher, third House Republican to fall in 2026

Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles lost his Republican primary Thursday to former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

By Mary Ellen McIntire Posted August 6, 2026 at 10:58pm

Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles lost his bid for renomination Thursday, becoming the third House Republican to lose a primary this year.

Ogles was trailing former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, 53 percent to 47 percent, when The Associated Press called the race for the 5th District at 10:10 p.m. Thursday.

The result represents a rare defeat for President Donald Trump, who had reiterated his support for Ogles earlier Thursday, saying on social media that the second-term congressman was doing a "fantastic job." It is the second loss this week for a Trump-endorsed Republican, after Navy veteran Amir Hassan came up short in a House primary in Michigan.

Controversies and District Changes

Ogles has been dogged by controversy since he was first elected to Congress in 2022. He has been accused of embellishing his résumé and is under a House Ethics investigation into his campaign finances. He also drew criticism this year for saying that Muslims "don't belong in American society" and that "homosexuality has no place in America."

Ogles was also running in a district that was considerably altered under Tennessee's new congressional map. Once based in Middle Tennessee, the 5th District now snakes along the Kentucky border, connecting Memphis to the Nashville area. State Republicans redrew the map to help them win all nine of the state's House seats, but Ogles ended up with a district with mostly new constituents.

Hatcher's Campaign and Support

Hatcher, who emphasized his background as a dairy farmer and veterinarian, won a late endorsement this week from Gov. Bill Lee, adding to support from former Gov. Bill Haslam. While Hatcher did not have Trump's backing in the primary, he has praised the president and vowed to support his agenda in Congress.

Hatcher also outraised Ogles, bringing in $720,000 to his $613,000 through July 17.

Outside Spending

Hatcher benefited from $2 million in outside support from the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC, a group backed by clean energy investors that ran ads portraying Ogles as a showhorse and casting Hatcher as a worker.

The Freedom Caucus Fund, meanwhile, spent $780,000 to boost Ogles on the air.

General Election Outlook

Hatcher will next face Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, who won a five-way primary for the Democratic nomination Thursday. Molder is the fundraising leader in the race, hauling in $2.6 million through July 17, with $1.5 million in the bank.

Democrats still see Molder as a strong candidate, despite the redrawn district lines. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added the seat to its target list last year and included him in its Red to Blue program. However, the new version of the 5th District is even redder under the new map, transforming from a seat Trump won by 18 points in 2024 to one he would have carried by 23 points.

Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race Solid Republican.

Other Races

Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn prevailed in a three-way Republican primary Thursday in the race to succeed the term-limited Lee.

With 90 percent of the vote in, Blackburn had 43 percent of the vote to 33 percent for R...