Incumbent and Trump pick Ogles loses GOP primary for Tennessee District 5

Incumbent Congressman Andy Ogles has lost the GOP primary to Charlie Hatcher, despite the backing of President Donald Trump.

A former Tennessee agriculture commissioner, Hatcher outraised Ogles and received late-race endorsements from Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and former Gov. Bill Haslam.

Last primary, Ogles had fended off a challenge from a better-funded opponent in Nashville Metro Councilmember Courtney Johnston, but Hatcher’s endorsements — paired with internal polling — indicated a closer race than years past.

Trump endorsed Ogles early last year and campaigned for him during early voting.

“He’s a source of inspiration to a lot of people in Congress. They really respect him, and I respect him,” Trump told voters during a July tele-rally.

Ogles’ defeat coincides with a recent dip in Trump’s approval rating in Tennessee. From last November to this May, that rating fell 7 percentage points, down to less than half, according to a Vanderbilt University poll.

Hatcher has still aligned himself with Trump in campaign materials while presenting himself as a down-to-earth alternative to Ogles.

“Think what President Trump could do if our congressman spent less time talking and more time doing,” Hatcher’s campaign site reads.

While Hatcher raised more than Ogles, his cash on hand is dwarfed by his opponent for the general, Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder.

Christopher Blank WKNO

Chaz Molder greets voters outside a Memphis polling site on Thursday, August 6, 2026.

Molder raised nearly double the total of both GOP candidates combined. His campaign received support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, as national Democrats see the seat as vulnerable for the midterm elections.

Redistricting moved Molder’s home city of Columbia out of the 5th Congressional District and into the 9th, but Molder continued his campaign for the 5th under new state rules that suspended residency requirements for candidates.

He defeated a roster of candidates from Memphis, which the new congressional map had incorporated into District 5.