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Tennessee Election Result: Rep. Andy Ogles Loses Primary, First Trump-Backed House Republican Defeated

Times Now · August 7, 2026

Rep. Andy Ogles

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) has lost the Republican primary in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District to former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, becoming the second candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump to be defeated in a primary this week.

The race unfolded in the state's newly redrawn 5th District, which Republicans made more favorable to the GOP after changes that followed the Supreme Court's decision weakening the Voting Rights Act. While the new map was expected to help Republicans in the general election, it also forced Ogles to introduce himself to a large number of new voters ahead of the primary.

Hatcher entered the race with a fundraising advantage over Ogles but did not spend any of his campaign funds on television advertising. Instead, his campaign focused on mailers, digital advertising, and canvassing.

Outside spending played a major role in the contest. Invest in Tomorrow Coalition's super PAC, backed by renewable energy executives, spent about $2 million on advertisements attacking Ogles. The barrage prompted Ogles' allies to launch a last-minute effort to rescue the incumbent from an upset.

Hatcher also received a late endorsement from Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, who backed his former administration official, saying Hatcher "has stood with President Trump from day one."

Ogles entered the primary carrying several controversies. In June, he deleted a homophobic social media post that drew criticism from members of his own party. He also faced backlash after another post in which he said, "Muslims don't belong in American society."

His political challenges extended beyond social media. In 2024, the FBI searched Ogles' phone during an investigation into campaign finance records after a watchdog group filed an ethics complaint over his use of campaign funds. He had also faced scrutiny in 2023 over false claims about his résumé.

Ogles' defeat comes just after another Trump-backed Republican, Amir Hassan, lost the GOP primary in Michigan's 8th Congressional District. Hassan, a former federal law enforcement officer endorsed by Trump in June, was defeated by retired engineer Thomas Smith, who had suspended his campaign last month but remained on the ballot.

The back-to-back defeats mark a rare setback for Trump's endorsements this election cycle, though his overall endorsement record has remained largely successful.

With his defeat, Andy Ogles becomes the ninth House member to lose renomination and the third Republican incumbent to be ousted in a primary this cycle. Unlike the other two defeated GOP incumbents—Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Dan Crenshaw of Texas—who were not endorsed by President Donald Trump, Ogles had Trump's backing, making him the first Trump-endorsed House Republican to lose a primary in the 2026 election cycle.

Tennessee — 5th District

Andrew Ogles

Tennessee Election Result: Rep. Andy Ogles Loses Primary, First Trump-Backed House Republican Defeated