Representative Andy Ogles, who carried the endorsement of former President Trump, has lost his bid for renomination in a redrawn Tennessee district. Al Jazeera English reported: "Ogles\u2019s loss on Thursday to Charlie Hatcher, the state\u2019s former agricultural commissioner, represents a rare incident in which Trump\u2019s endorsement failed to deliver in a Republican race."1
The winner was Charlie Hatcher, the state's former agricultural commissioner. New York Post headlined it "Rep. Andy Ogles loses Tennessee’s Republican primary after dramatic district reshape".
In the run up to the vote, the state's Republican governor, Bill Lee, weighed in against the incumbent by endorsing Hatcher just before Tennesseans went to the polls. The Washington Post headlined it "Tennessee’s Republican governor endorses challenge to sitting GOP congressman". Fox News headlined it "GOP governor endorses candidate challenging Trump-backed congressman in Republican US House primary".
Outside money also poured into the contest. A super PAC known as the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition worked against Ogles and for his opponent. Fox News reported: "The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition super PAC had spent roughly $2 million opposing Ogles and supporting Hatcher."2
Accounts differ on exactly how much that PAC spent, with some putting the figure near two million dollars and others citing a different total tied to the broader effort to defeat him. "\u201cOgles lost last night because a Super PAC bankrolled by left-wing California Democrats spent $2 million to raid the Republican primary,\u201d Allison Weisenberger of the Freedom Caucus Fund told The Washington Times in an email."3, The Washington Times stated. Fox News headlined it "Trump's endorsement collides with $1.3M effort to oust House ally".
The defeat was described as an unusual setback for a candidate who had Trump's backing, since such endorsements have rarely failed to carry Republican primaries this cycle. Al Jazeera English wrote: "Ogles\u2019s loss on Thursday to Charlie Hatcher, the state\u2019s former agricultural commissioner, represents a rare incident in which Trump\u2019s endorsement failed to deliver in a Republican race."1
On the Democratic side of the same district lines, party voters separately settled on their own nominees for the general election.
