Republican Rep. Andy Ogles Loses Tennessee Primary In Upset...

Incumbent Republican Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles lost his primary for the state’s 5th congressional district to former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher. With 85% of the vote reporting Thursday night, Hatcher led Ogles by 53% to 47% percentage points, marking it one of the most closely watched House primaries, according to an Associated Press projection. Rep. Andy Ogles, the controversial hard-right Republican backed by Trump, loses primary bid to former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, CNN projects While most of Trump’s picks tend to win in primaries, Ogles is one of several Trump-backed candidates to lose…— Manu Raju (@mkraju) August 7, 2026 Hatcher, who secured endorsements from Republican heavyweights, including Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, former Gov. Bill Haslam and former Agriculture Sec. Sonny Perdue, is now the overwhelming favorite to win the deep-red district in November. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. Andy Ogles Introduce Legislation To Repeal DC Home Rule) The incumbent entered the race with President Donald Trump’s endorsement. He was outraised and outspent in the closing weeks of the campaign. Hatchers win was aided by a last-minute, multimillion-dollar advertising blitz from a pro-clean energy super PAC, Invest in Tomorrow Coalition, according to an Axios report. Ogles blasted the late spending as outside interference during a Fox News interview. WASHINGTON (AP) — Charlie Hatcher wins Republican nomination for U.S. House in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District. #APRaceCall at 10:10 p.m. EDT. https://t.co/TS3eIpQI5W— AP Race Calls (@AP_RaceCalls) August 7, 2026 Ogles faced criticism earlier in the year after saying Muslims “don’t belong” in American society. He later deleted a homophobic social media post he blamed on a staffer, and previously called for revoking Democratic New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s U.S. citizenship and deporting him. (RELATED: Tennessee House Descends Into Chaos As Dems’ Only Congressional District Eliminated In New Map) Ogles was also investigated over campaign finance allegations, though he was never charged with a crime, according to NBC News. Hatcher largely embraced Trump’s agenda while arguing the district needed a more effective representative in Washington. Ogles becomes the third Republican House incumbent to lose a primary in the 2026 cycle and the ninth House member overall to be defeated in a primary, the highest total in a non-redistricting year since 1970, according to a Vital Statistics on Congress report.