Trump-Backed Rep. Ogles Loses to Primary Challenger in Tennessee

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) speaks during a get out the vote event held in support of republican candidate Matt Van Epps on December 1, 2025 in Franklin, Tennessee. Tennessee's 7th congressional district special election is being held to fill the seat vacated following the resignation of republican Mark Green. (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

By Nathan Worcester

Nathan Worcester

Senior Reporter

Nathan Worcester is an award-winning journalist for The Epoch Times based in Washington, D.C. He frequently covers Capitol Hill, elections, and the ideas that shape our times. He has also written about energy and the environment. Nathan can be reached at nathan.worcester@epochtimes.us

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and Joseph Lord

Joseph Lord

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.

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August 6, 2026Updated: August 6, 2026

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In an upset, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) was defeated by Charlie Hatcher in Tennessee’s Aug. 6 Republican primary for the state’s Fifth District.

Ogles, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, was first elected to the district in 2022. The House Freedom Caucus member’s territory was redrawn by the state legislature earlier this year.

The Associated Press called the race at 10:10 p.m. As of 10:37 p.m., with an estimated 82 percent of the vote counted, Hatcher, the former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture, had 53.3 percent of the vote to 46.7 percent for Ogles.

Hatcher was backed by Tennessee’s outgoing Republican governor, Bill Lee.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

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