Hatcher wins Tennessee House race after defeating Ogles in GOP primary

Former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher is projected to win Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District over his opponents Democrat Chaz Molder, independent James Johnson and independent Micheál O’Leary, according to Decision Desk HQ .

The win comes after Hatcher defeated Trump-backed Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) in the GOP primary. The seat has been held by the GOP since Ogles flipped the seat from Democrats in 2022.

President Trump switched his endorsement to Hatcher following his win over Ogles, writing on Truth Social, “Good luck Charlie! Run tough and hard. You have my Complete and Total Endorsement!”

Hatcher writes on his campaign website that his positions are “pro-Gun. Pro-Life. Pro-Trump. Farm Strong.”

The race was favored for the GOP as the 5th Congressional District was majorly redrawn in a rare mid-decade redistricting effort — excluding all parts of Nashville. The area is one Ogles lost in 2024 by over 20,000 votes, according to DDHQ .

At a public forum against Molder, Hatcher identified that his top priority was to tackle the cost of living. The Democrat attacked Hatcher on Trump’s international tariffs, which are projected to hit Tennessee hard.

Hatcher defended the strategic use of tariffs, arguing that they are “a tool; they can be used effectively, sometimes badly,” according to the Nashville Banner .

“We need to support American industries, and we need to support American agriculture so that we can … not have other countries hold us hostage,” he continued, pointing to agriculture and steel as examples of industries where he believes tariffs can be used to support American producers.

Hatcher stated at the forum that he had the occasional disagreement with Trump, particularly the president’s plan to import beef. The plan would import 300,000 metric tons of beef without tariffs for 90 days from Brazil and Argentina at 25 percent below current market prices.