U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles lost his Republican primary election in Tennessee on Thursday, falling to former agriculture commissioner Charlie Hatcher in a deep-red district shaped by new maps. Ogles, who faced multiple controversies and heavy outside spending, is now the ninth House member to lose a primary in 2026.
The Republican primary race in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District concluded on Thursday with an incumbent defeat that bucked typical political trends. Charlie Hatcher, who previously served seven years as the state’s agriculture commissioner under Republican Gov. Bill Lee, defeated U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles. The outcome delivered a rare primary defeat for a sitting member of Congress, particularly one who held an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
Outside Spending and Establishment Endorsements Drive the Upset
While Ogles secured an early endorsement from Trump last fall and praise as a Conservative Warrior
on election day, his campaign struggled financially against a well-funded challenger. According to Nbcnews, Ogles was outraised and outspent on the airwaves
due in large part to a massive advertising effort funded by a pro-clean energy group.
Hatcher gathered support from a broad coalition of state establishment Republicans, including Gov. Bill Lee, former Gov. Bill Haslam, and former Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Despite the heavy outside spending opposing him—with a pro-clean energy group launching a massive ad effort against him—Ogles defended his record while criticizing the financial influence in the primary.
Controversies and House Incumbent Turnover in 2026
Ogles’ tenure in the House has been marked by a series of high-profile controversies and bombastic statements that drew bipartisan pushback. Axios noted that the incumbent faced scrutiny over misrepresenting his resume regarding a liberal studies degree from Middle Tennessee State University, alongside questions regarding personal loans on campaign finance reports. Beyond local policy clashes—such as requesting federal investigations into Nashville’s mayor and calling for an NFL inquiry following the Super Bowl halftime show—Ogles faced scrutiny for recent remarks declaring that Muslims don't belong in American society.
The incumbent also weathered a federal investigation involving the FBI seizing his cellphone in 2024 as part of a campaign finance inquiry. The Justice Department recently agreed to return the device and did not file criminal charges against him.
Ogles’ defeat fits into a broader national trend during the 2026 primary cycle. He stands as the ninth House member—comprising six Democrats and three Republicans—to lose a renomination bid. According to historical metrics tracked by Vital Statistics on Congress, this marks the highest incumbent primary loss total in a nondecennial redistricting year since 1970.
Redistricting Maps Remake Tennessee’s Congressional Map
The primary battle took place across a heavily reconfigured political landscape. AP News reported that the contests provided the first electoral test of a new U.S. House map drawn in May by Republican state lawmakers. The redrawing followed a U.S. Supreme Court decision that weakened Voting Rights Act protections for minority voters.
The new congressional map split apart the historically compact, majority-Black 9th Congressional District in Memphis, creating a ripple effect that reshaped neighboring boundaries. The revised 5th District stretched significantly from Ogles’ base in central Tennessee up to the northwest corner of the state and south along the Mississippi River. An AP estimate calculated that 82% of the voters in the reshaped 5th District were new to the constituency.
General Election Outlook and Concession
Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder won the Democratic primary for the district, though the deep-red political leanings of the territory make Hatcher a heavy favorite in the November general election.
Hatcher embraced Trump’s policy agenda throughout the campaign while attempting to separate himself from the incumbent’s legislative style. His campaign messaging pressed a straightforward contrast: Think what President Trump could do if our congressman spent less time talking and more time doing,
a sentiment that ultimately resonated with primary voters looking for a change in central Tennessee.
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