Trump-Endorsed Rep. Andy Ogles Loses Tennessee GOP Primary To Charlie Hatcher In Redrawn 5th District
Rep. Andy Ogles lost the Republican primary in Tennessee's redrawn 5th Congressional District to former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, the Associated Press projected on Thursday, August 6, 2026.[1]
With just over 80% of ballots tallied, Ogles trailed Hatcher by just over six percentage points, according to results compiled by the Associated Press.[1] Hatcher, a former agriculture commissioner and dairy farmer, was backed by Gov. Bill Lee and former Gov. Bill Haslam.[2] After the victory Hatcher said, "Work like a farmer, get things done and serve others," and his campaign is viewed as favored to win the deep-red seat in November.[3]
Tennessee Republicans enacted a new congressional map this spring that aimed to break apart the Democratic-controlled 9th District and make the 5th more safely Republican.[4] The remap stretched the 5th from Ogles' central Tennessee base to the state's northwest corner and down the Mississippi River to Memphis, leaving about 82% of voters new to Ogles.[3] Outside groups also played a role: the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition spent roughly $1 million against Ogles and then bought about $700,000 in additional ads ahead of the primary.[4] Ogles faced controversies, including a March 2026 backlash after he said "Muslims don't belong in American society." MS NOW The FBI seized his cellphone in 2024 during a campaign-finance inquiry that the Justice Department later moved to return.[3]
Early coverage highlighted how the redistricting and Ogles' national profile, including a Trump endorsement, reshaped the race's terrain.[4] Later reporting shifted attention toward Ogles' personal controversies and the heavy outside spending that targeted him, a narrative emphasized by outlets including PBS and MS NOW.[3]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Thursday, August 6, 2026, the Associated Press projected that two-term Rep. Andy Ogles lost the Republican primary to former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher (Associated Press projected).
- With just over 80% of the vote counted on August 6, 2026, Ogles trailed Hatcher by just over six percentage points, according to results compiled by the Associated Press (just over 80% of the vote counted).
- Charlie Hatcher, a former Tennessee agriculture commissioner and dairy farmer, defeated Ogles and was backed by Gov. Bill Lee and former Gov. Bill Haslam (Charlie Hatcher).
- Hatcher ran as a pro-Trump candidate despite not having Trump’s endorsement, emphasized his farming background, told AP after the win, “Work like a farmer, get things done and serve others,” and is viewed as favored to win the deep-red seat in November (Charlie Hatcher).
- Tennessee’s Republican-led redistricting dramatically reshaped the 5th District — stretching from Ogles’ central Tennessee base to the state's northwest corner and down the Mississippi River to Memphis — leaving about 82% of voters new to Ogles and creating a substantially new Republican primary electorate (new 5th District).
- Republicans this spring enacted a new congressional map intended to break apart the Democratic-controlled 9th District and shift Tennessee’s delegation from 8-1 GOP to potentially 9-0 by making the 5th District more Republican (new congressional map).
- The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition, a clean-energy super PAC largely funded by Democratic donor Chris Larsen, spent roughly $1 million against Ogles and for Hatcher and then bought an additional ~$700,000 in ads ahead of the August 6 primary (Invest in Tomorrow Coalition).
- Ogles faced political and legal controversies: he drew backlash in March 2026 after saying “Muslims don’t belong in American society,” and the FBI seized his cellphone in 2024 during a campaign-finance inquiry that the DOJ has since effectively abandoned by agreeing to return the device (FBI seized his cellphone).
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- The article confirms that former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher defeated Rep. Andy Ogles in the Republican primary on Thursday, August 6, 2026, for a significantly reshaped 5th Congressional District.
- It specifies that the new 5th District stretches from Ogles' base in central Tennessee to the state's northwest corner and then south along the Mississippi River to Memphis, with about 82% of voters new to Ogles, according to an AP estimate.
- The story notes that Hatcher, who lacked Trump's endorsement but was backed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee, campaigned as pro-Trump while emphasizing his farming background and told AP after the win: "Work like a farmer, get things done and serve others."
- It adds that Ogles previously benefited from 2022 redistricting that split Nashville among three districts and that the FBI seized his cellphone in 2024 in a campaign-finance investigation that DOJ has since effectively abandoned by agreeing to return the device.
- The article situates the race in the context of Tennessee's May 2026 congressional remap adopted after a weakened Voting Rights Act, which cracked apart the majority-Black, Memphis-based 9th District and reconfigured both the 5th and 9th Districts.
- Fox News reports that Tennessee Republicans this spring enacted a new congressional map that broke apart the Democratic-controlled 9th District and aims to shift the delegation from 8-1 GOP to 9-0 by making the 5th District more Republican.
- The article notes that Ogles was running on "unfamiliar terrain" because the 5th District was dramatically redrawn, leaving him with a substantially new Republican primary electorate.
- It adds that the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition, a clean-energy super PAC largely funded by California crypto billionaire and Democratic donor Chris Larsen, spent roughly $1 million against Ogles and for Hatcher, then bought an additional $700,000 in ads ahead of the August 6, 2026 primary.
- Ogles publicly accused the super PAC of targeting him for opposing Biden-era clean-energy subsidies and suggested his close alignment with Trump also made him a target.
- Article confirms again that on Thursday, August 6, 2026, Rep. Andy Ogles lost the Republican primary in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District to former state agriculture commissioner and dairy farmer Charlie Hatcher.
- It specifies that Hatcher was endorsed by outgoing Gov. Bill Lee and former Gov. Bill Haslam, describing them as prominent establishment Republicans in Tennessee.
- The piece highlights that Ogles faced backlash in March 2026 from advocacy groups and fellow lawmakers after he said 'Muslims don’t belong in American society.'
- The article notes Tennessee’s Republican-led redistricting significantly reshaped the 5th District by bringing in new communities and voters ahead of the primary.
- It reiterates that Hatcher’s campaign messaging closely aligned with President Trump, calling Trump 'the most impactful president of our lifetime' and saying he 'needs some help from a farmer’s work-hard mentality,' and that Hatcher is favored to win the deep-red district in November.
- On Thursday, August 6, 2026, the Associated Press projected that two-term Rep. Andy Ogles lost the Republican primary for his Tennessee House seat to former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher.
- With just over 80% of the vote counted on August 6, 2026, Ogles trailed Hatcher by just over six percentage points, according to results compiled by the Associated Press.
- CBS notes this is the second loss in the same week for a congressional candidate backed by President Trump, whose endorsements usually carry significant weight in GOP primaries.