Trump Dismisses Primary Loss Despite Broken Endorsement Streak

Charlie Hatcher, a fifth-generation dairy farmer and former state Agriculture Commissioner, defeated incumbent Rep. Andy Ogles in Tennessee's Republican 5th District primary. Ogles carried a Trump endorsement but lost by roughly six percentage points.

• 53% to 47% — Hatcher's margin with 85-89% of votes reported.
• 82% of the redrawn 5th District's voters were new to the seat.
• Hatcher raised roughly $694,500; Ogles raised roughly $590,500.
• Invest in Tomorrow Coalition super PAC spent roughly $2 million opposing Ogles.

Why it matters: Ogles is the third Republican House incumbent to lose a primary in 2026 — the ninth House member overall, the highest total in a non-redistricting year since 1970, according to a Vital Statistics on Congress report.

• Ogles faced scrutiny over campaign finance questions, a 2024 FBI cellphone seizure, and a 2023 admission of misrepresenting his college degree.
• Redistricting shifted the district from suburban Nashville toward rural and agricultural communities, terrain better suited to Hatcher's background.

How 35 sources split on this story

Where they split: Outlets disagree on whether the result is a rebuke of Trump's endorsement power or a district-specific outcome driven by redistricting and outside spending.

What’s next: Hatcher is the heavy favorite in the deep-red district against Democrat Chaz Molder in November.

• In the 9th District, Trump-backed state Sen. Brent Taylor will face Democratic state Rep. Justin Pearson.
• Does Ogles' loss signal a durable limit on Trump's endorsement power in restructured districts, or was this outcome district-specific?
• Will the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition's spending strategy — backing a pro-Trump candidate against a more polarizing incumbent — be replicated in other primaries?