Incumbent U.S. Congressman Andy Ogles was defeated in the Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District by former agriculture commissioner Charlie Hatcher on August 6, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. With 95% of precincts reporting, Hatcher secured 53.3% of the vote to Ogles’s 46.8% [2].
Hatcher campaigned as a pro-Trump candidate and received the endorsement of Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, while Ogles held the support of former President Donald Trump, who praised Ogles with a "complete and total endorsement" despite his loss [1, 2, 3]. Hatcher said of his campaign, "The message resonated, and the message was: Work like a farmer, get things done and serve others" [2].
Ogles, first elected in 2022, was running in a redrawn district after Republicans revised Tennessee’s congressional map in May 2026. The redistricting broke apart the state's only majority-Black district in Memphis and was viewed as a GOP effort to retain House control in the state [1, 4, 2, 3]. Republicans currently hold eight of Tennessee’s nine House seats and aim to sweep all races in November [4, 2, 3].
Ogles faced backlash over anti-Muslim remarks he posted on social media, including saying that "Muslims don’t belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie," sparking calls for condemnation across communities. Osama Jamal, Secretary-General of the US Council of Muslim Organizations, responded that "Hate and discrimination against one another have no place in America" [1, 2].
Outside spending was notable in the primary, with a clean-energy PAC initially spending $1 million and adding $700,000 in the lead-up to the contest against Ogles [3].
On the Democratic side, Chaz Molder won the primary in the same district with 40.9% of the vote and will face Hatcher in the November general election [1, 2].
Another Trump-backed candidate, Amir Hassan, also lost a primary this week in Michigan, marking a rare setback for Trump endorsements [1].
The redistricting passed in May 2026 followed the weakening of Voting Rights Act protections and reshaped Tennessee’s congressional districts ahead of the midterms [4, 2, 3].
