There Was an Upset in Tennessee's Primaries Last Night

Well, one race was a big surprise, while the other was less so, in Tennessee’s primaries last night. Despite not endorsing any candidate in the gubernatorial primary, Sen. Marsha Blackburn barely beat Rep. John Rose, 43-32. Tennessee State Rep. Monty Fritts secured 23 percent. 

However, the upset occurred in the Fifth District, where incumbent Republican Rep. Andy Ogles was defeated by former Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, 53-47. Ogles had Trump’s endorsement, but this might have been a case of ‘politics is local,’ as Hatcher was backed by term-limited Gov. Bill Lee, who is popular in the state. Gov. Lee assured voters that Hatcher was pro-MAGA, but without the drama. Mr. Ogles had posted some spicy tweets about immigration on social media, and there was other stuff, too. The good news is that this isn’t a race we need to worry about losing (via The Hill):

REP. ANDY OGLES, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, loses his primary. https://t.co/VMBh92NyHu

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) August 7, 2026

🚨 NOW: Rep. Andy Ogles JUST LOST his embattled GOP primary in Tennessee's 5th District, to well-financed challenger Charlie Hatcher — DDHQ

Ogles WILL be missed. He repeatedly called out the Islamic invasion, knows America is a Christian nation and filed to impeach rogue judges!… pic.twitter.com/c9rPLUEnfy

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 7, 2026

Former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Charlie Hatcher, the lone Republican challenger in the race, is set to defeat Ogles, who was backed by the president.

The district went from being a likely win for a Republican in November to being solid red in Hatcher’s favor due to mid-decade redistricting, according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. He faced slim competition, serving as Ogles’s sole opponent in the GOP primary.

Hatcher is expected to face off against Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder (D) in November.

Molder has significantly outraised Hatcher, leading all candidates in fundraising with nearly $2.6 million, while Hatcher raised over $700,000, according to the Federal Election Commission’s data.

But Hatcher is on a glidepath to Congress after Gov. Bill Lee (R) approved a GOP-led redrawn House map in May. The new map gives Hatcher the edge over Molder, while Rep. Steve Cohen’s (D-Tenn.) 9th District shifts from solid Democrat to solid Republican.

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