Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) is in jeopardy of losing his GOP primary Thursday, after a flood of outside spending and redistricting left him in less familiar territory this cycle.
Ogles has the support of President Donald Trump, who re-upped his endorsement of Ogles on Thursday, which is usually seen as a silver bullet in GOP primaries, but the two-term congressman is facing a well-funded primary challenger.
Former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher is seeking to unseat Ogles and has raised a significant war chest to do so. Hatcher has raised $719,502 in his bid to unseat Ogles, while the incumbent has raised $613,000.
Heading into the primary, Ogles has less cash on hand than Hatcher as well, holding $58,000 compared to Hatcher’s $104,820.
Outside spending has drawn more attention to the race, with the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition, a super PAC focused on clean energy, dropping $1.5 million in advertisements attacking Ogles. The Tennessee Republican got some support from the Freedom Caucus Fund, the political arm of the House Freedom Caucus, with $540,000.
In total, over $4,000,000 has been spent on advertisements in the race, according to AdImpact, though much of that is future reservations for the general election from House Majority PAC, a super PAC aligned with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
But another factor working against Ogles is the redrawing of Tennessee’s congressional map, which dramatically reshaped his district. Ogles is seeking to hold on to his seat in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, which was made redder by the GOP legislature after the Supreme Court weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
The shift, which pulled in parts of the old 5th, 7th, 8th, and 9th districts, puts Ogles in largely unfamiliar territory, with voters who might not be as acquainted with him. The new 5th District, which stretches from Memphis, along the Mississippi River to the Kentucky border before dipping into Middle Tennessee, retained just 17% of the previous iteration, which included parts of Nashville and was concentrated in the central part of the state.
The winner of the contest will be the favorite to win the general election in November, though Democrats are targeting the controversial Ogles.
Ogles has stirred up controversy during his time in office, including a social media post that was denounced by members of his own party as homophobic, which he later deleted. In 2024, he was the subject of an FBI inquiry during which the FBI searched his phone as part of an investigation into campaign finance records.
However, the Tennessee Republican has the support of Trump, a huge boon for his campaign and chances of survival in Thursday’s primary.
“Andy is a Conservative Warrior who has strong support from his Community,” Trump said in a post to Truth Social Thursday. “In Congress, he is fighting tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A. and American Energy DOMINANCE, Safeguard our Elections, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Strengthen our Military/Veterans, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”
Hatcher’s campaign raised eyebrows earlier this week when Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) backed his former commissioner over the incumbent congressman.
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Hatcher also sports the endorsement of former Republican Gov. Bill Haslam.
Polls close at 8 p.m. Eastern in Tennessee.