Trump-backed Rep. Andy Ogles ousted in Tennessee GOP primary

Coverage spread: 4 sources — 2 left · 1 center · 1 right

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Where they agree

Charlie Hatcher, former Tennessee agriculture commissioner, defeated Trump-endorsed Rep. Andy Ogles in the 5th District GOP primary by roughly six points.
Ogles was significantly outraised and outspent, partly due to a multimillion-dollar campaign by the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition super PAC, funded largely by crypto billionaire and Democratic donor Chris Larsen.
Hatcher had the backing of Gov. Bill Lee and other establishment Republicans, breaking with Trump’s endorsement of Ogles.
The primary was the first held under Tennessee’s newly redrawn congressional map, and Ogles has a history of controversial remarks about Muslims and homosexuality plus a past FBI campaign-finance probe that ended without charges.

Where they differ

NBC News frames the loss within a wider pattern, noting Ogles is the ninth House incumbent to lose a primary this cycle, the most since 1970 in a non-redistricting year.
Fox News emphasizes Ogles’ own framing that the super PAC’s spending was retaliation for his opposition to clean-energy subsidies and that his closeness to Trump made him a target, giving him direct quotes to make that case.
Fox News’ first article foregrounds other Tennessee primary results (Brent Taylor’s win, Marsha Blackburn’s gubernatorial nomination) as part of the redistricting story, while CBS, NBC and The Hill focus narrowly on the Ogles-Hatcher race.
Outlets give slightly different super PAC spending totals ($1 million-plus $700,000 in ad buys per Fox’s first piece vs. roughly $2 million per CBS, NBC and Fox’s second piece), reflecting different filing snapshots.

Republican Rep. Andy Ogles lost his primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District on Thursday, despite an endorsement from President Trump. Former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, backed by Gov. Bill Lee and other establishment Republicans, defeated the two-term incumbent by about six points in a district recently redrawn to favor the GOP. Hatcher is now heavily favored to win the seat in November.

What were the final numbers and who backed each candidate?

With roughly 80% of votes counted, Hatcher led Ogles by just over six percentage points, according to the Associated Press. Ogles raised $613,135 to Hatcher’s $719,503, per FEC filings, and was also badly outspent on the airwaves. Trump endorsed Ogles last November and reiterated support in an Election Day post calling him a “Conservative Warrior.” House Speaker Mike Johnson also backed Ogles. Hatcher, by contrast, drew support from Gov. Bill Lee, former Gov. Bill Haslam, and former Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue — establishment Republicans who broke with Trump’s pick.

What role did outside spending play?

A pro-clean-energy super PAC called the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition spent between roughly $1.7 million and $2 million (figures vary slightly by outlet) opposing Ogles and boosting Hatcher, on top of raising $6.7 million overall this cycle. The group is financed largely by Chris Larsen, the California billionaire and Ripple chairman who has also donated more than $5.4 million to Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. Ogles argued the spending was retaliation for his opposition to Biden-era clean-energy subsidies, telling Fox News Digital the group was “upset that the government welfare has been taken away from them.” He also suggested his closeness to Trump made him a target.

What baggage did Ogles carry into the race?

Ogles has generated repeated controversy, including a social-media post — later deleted — saying “homosexuality has no place in America,” and separate comments that “Muslims don’t belong in American society.” He blamed the homophobic post on a staffer he said was reprimanded. He also faced an FBI investigation tied to campaign finance issues; his phone was seized in 2024 and later returned by the Justice Department without charges being filed. Hatcher, a fifth-generation dairy farmer, cast himself as an outsider, telling supporters “there’s a lack of farmer common sense” in Washington and arguing Ogles talked more than he acted.

How does this fit into the broader primary season?

NBC News notes Ogles is the ninth sitting House member — six Democrats and three Republicans — to lose renomination this cycle, the most in a non-decennial redistricting year since 1970. Two sitting senators, Republicans Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and John Cornyn of Texas, also lost primaries, and Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales dropped out after finishing second in his own primary. Ogles’ loss came just two days after another Trump-endorsed candidate, Amir Hassan, lost a Michigan House primary to a candidate who had already suspended his campaign — underscoring a rougher-than-usual stretch for Trump’s endorsement record.

Why was Tennessee’s map redrawn, and what else happened on primary night?

This was the first primary held under Tennessee’s newly redrawn congressional map, part of a GOP-led redistricting push that broke up the state’s only Democratic-leaning district. Ogles’ 5th District now stretches more than 200 miles from Nashville’s suburbs to Memphis. In the newly created 9th District, Trump-backed state Sen. Brent Taylor won the GOP nomination and will face progressive state Rep. Justin Pearson — one of the “Tennessee Three” lawmakers expelled from the legislature in 2023 after a gun-control protest — in November. Separately, Sen. Marsha Blackburn won the Republican nomination for governor, positioning her to potentially become the state’s first female governor, which would create a future Senate vacancy.

What happens next?

Hatcher is considered a heavy favorite to win the 5th District in the general election given its deep-red lean, and he said Ogles called to concede and offered to help him transition into the role. Hatcher told a Nashville TV reporter he expects Washington to be “a new environment” and welcomed mentorship. The broader question left hanging by the results is what Ogles’ defeat, alongside other incumbent losses this cycle, signals about the limits of Trump’s endorsement power heading into the fall midterms.

Sources

Featured photo: Alexis Haulot / European Union via Wikimedia Commons (Attribution)