Trump's endorsement could not prevent Andy Ogles from losing a Tennessee primary. Charlie Hatcher secured top Republican endorsements and outspent Ogles on fundraising and ads. Major redistricting after a Supreme Court decision redistributed roughly 82% of the 5th District's voters, and Ogles's record of controversies and an FBI search failed to persuade the many new constituents.
Trump Endorsement Fails to Save Andy Ogles as Redistricting and Scandals Cost Him the Tennessee Primary
Trump-Backed Rep. Loses Primary After Republicans Redistricted Him
An endorsement from former President Donald Trump was not enough to keep Republican Rep. Andy Ogles in office after he lost a hotly contested Tennessee primary on Thursday night.
Charlie Hatcher, a former Tennessee agriculture commissioner, built a winning coalition with high-profile endorsements from Gov. Bill Lee, former Gov. Bill Haslam and former Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Hatcher also outpaced Ogles in fundraising and advertising, giving him a decisive advantage on the airwaves and in the field.
Redistricting played a central role. After a U.S. Supreme Court decision in April that undercut parts of the Voting Rights Act, Tennessee Republicans redrew the state's congressional map. Lawmakers dismantled the state's only majority-Black district (the 9th) and dispersed its population into surrounding, predominantly Republican districts, including the 5th. Roughly 82% of the 5th District's voters were new to the district ahead of the primary.
Ogles also entered the race under a cloud of controversies. Earlier this year he drew condemnation after saying, "Muslims don't belong in American society." He has faced ethics questions about his handling of campaign funds, admitted to misrepresentations about his college education, and solicited donations for a memorial garden for a stillborn child that was never built.
Two years ago, the FBI executed a search warrant connected to allegations of financial misconduct and seized Ogles's phone. In May, federal authorities indicated the probe was winding down, but that development did little to sway the many new constituents who helped unseat him.
Bottom line: A combination of aggressive opposition fundraising and ads, major endorsements for Hatcher, broad changes to the district's electorate through redistricting, and Ogles's own controversies led to his primary defeat despite a Trump endorsement.
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