Former Tennessee agriculture commissioner Charlie Hatcher knocks Andy Ogles out of 5th District race

Former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner and farmer Charlie Hatcher unseated Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Thursday, a shocking upset in the state’s 5th District Republican primary.

Hatcher had secured 53.2% of the vote to Ogles’ 46.8% when the Associated Press called the race at 9:10 p.m., knocking the two-term congressman out of the race to represent the newly redrawn district that stretches from wealthy Williamson County suburbs to rural West Tennessee farmland through low-income neighborhoods in Memphis.

The contours of the district changed drastically after Tennessee legislators redrew it in May in hopes of ensuring Republican victories in all the state’s congressional races.  It’s a very different constituency than the previous 5th District centered in Middle Tennessee around Columbia and Maury County, where Ogles served as county mayor prior to his congressional tenure, parts of Williamson County, southern Davidson County and some of its fast-growing suburbs.

“I guess hire a farmer resonated with the 5th district,” Hatcher said as news spread of his upset victory in an election party that quickly filled the upstairs of the Leiper’s Fork Distillery in Franklin.

He added that he ran his campaign the same way he ran the state’s agriculture department with a “strong worth ethic” and the goal to “serve others.”

Ogles said he called Hatcher to congratulate him and offer “whatever assistance I can give him to make sure that he transitions into this role seamlessly.”

“It has been an absolute honor to serve Tennessee as a member of Congress, and I look forward to helping Charlie as he transitions, and helping any of you throughout the remainder of my term,” Ogles said before hugging each of his staff and family members at an election night gathering in Spring Hill.

“You know nobody likes to lose, but the results are in, and look, we fought a great race. Charlie fought a great race, and at the end of the day, he prevailed,” Ogles said.

Hatcher will face Democratic primary victor Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder in November. With the backing of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Molder secured 41.2% of the vote, besting four Memphis-based opponents when The Associated Press called the race at 9:35 p.m.

The Republican candidate has a lot of catching up to do on the fundraising front. Hatcher reported $186,563 in cash on hand going into the primary election, while Molder raised $2.6 million this campaign cycle and had nearly $1.5 million remaining in the bank.

Ogles billed himself as a close ally of President Donald Trump’s administration, regularly introducing legislation supporting the Trump administration’s agenda. In 2025, Ogles nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize and filed a bill proposing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would allow a president to serve three terms.

Trump endorsed Ogles in October before the district was redrawn, later reiterating his support near the end of Tennessee’s early voting period in a “tele-rally” paid for by the Freedom Caucus Fund, a political action committee, and Ogles’ campaign.

The Freedom Caucus Fund pumped more than $810,000 into media buys and robocalls supporting Ogles or opposing Hatcher since May 15.

Hatcher, who also identifies himself as pro-Trump, saw his “Hire a Farmer” campaign boosted in the days leading up to Election Day by an endorsement from Gov. Bill Lee and $2 million in independent advertising spending by the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition political action committee. The PAC targets candidates who have acted against renewable energy development.

Ogles said in interviews leading up to the election that he was being targeted by liberals “funding my opponent.” 

Adam Friedman contributed.