Congressman Andy Ogles lost the Republican primary in Tennessee
Republican U.S. Congressman Andy Ogles lost the Tennessee primary to former State Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher. Ogls suffered the defeat despite the support of U.S. President Donald Trump, according to Al Jazeera English.
With nearly 90% of the votes counted, Hatcher was leading the incumbent congressman by 6.6 percentage points. Earlier that same day, Trump had expressed his “full and unconditional support” for Ogles. At the same time, Hatcher also positioned himself as a supporter of the U.S. president, and toward the end of the campaign, he received the backing of Tennessee Governor Bill Lee.
Oglesby was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2022. He ran in a district whose boundaries were redrawn by Republicans during the state’s redistricting process. In November, Hetcher will face off against the Democratic Party candidate—Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder.
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Ogles has previously faced repeated criticism for his remarks about the Muslim community. In March, he wrote on social media platform X: “Muslims have no place in American society. Pluralism is a lie.”
In 2024, an activist asked Ogles on Capitol Hill if he had seen the video of Palestinian children killed by U.S.-funded bombs. In response, the congressman said, “You know what? I think we should kill them all if that makes you feel better,” and after a pause, clarified that he meant all members of Hamas.
In June, Hatcher rejected his opponent’s anti-Muslim rhetoric. He told the local publication Williamson Scene that there are law-abiding American citizens among Muslims, as well as members of the U.S. military.
