Tennessee voters oust Trump-backed congressman, set fall matchup for redrawn Memphis-area House seat

Former Tennessee agriculture commissioner Charlie Hatcher has defeated US Rep. Andy Ogles in a Republican primary for a significantly reshaped congressional district — marking a rare rejection of a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump.

Ogles, a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus, had faced controversies related to his campaign finances and resume, among other things. But Trump gave him an early endorsement last fall — and praised him on Election Day as “a Conservative Warrior” — as Ogles sought a third term in the reshaped district.

Ogles capitalized on a previous redistricting in the 2022 elections, winning a formerly Democratic-held seat that was reshaped to Republicans’ advantage by splitting the Nashville area among three districts.

The new 5th District stretches from Ogles’ base in central Tennessee to the northwest corner of the state before snaking south along the Mississippi River to Memphis — with 82% of its voters new, according to an Associated Press estimate.

Although he lacked Trump’s endorsement, Hatcher was backed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee, under whom he served for seven years. Hatcher campaigned as pro-Trump while emphasizing his farming background.

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

Trump has mostly backed winners so far in this year’s Republican primaries, though his favored candidate in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District primary, Amir Hassan, lost Tuesday.

Ogles’ controversies have included the FBI seizing his cellphone in 2024 as part of an investigation into his campaign finance reporting. The Justice Department recently agreed to return the device, signaling that it was abandoning the probe, which began under the Biden administration.

In 2023, Ogles acknowledged that he had graduated with a liberal studies degree from Middle Tennessee State University, saying he was “mistaken” for previously describing it as an international relations degree.

Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder won the Democratic primary in the 5th District.