(The Center Square) – Trump-endorsed incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles lost a primary challenge to Charlie Hatcher, a former Tennessee agriculture commissioner, in a Republican contest marked by new congressional districts approved in May.
Tennessee Sen. Brent Taylor and Rep. Justin Pearson are also set to face off in Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, the first general election in its new reconfiguration.
Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., decided not to run for reelection after his Memphis district was divided by the General Assembly to give Republicans an edge in congressional races and all nine of Tennessee's seats.
Here is a look at the results from the newly-drawn districts.
District 5
Chaz Molder secured the Democratic Party's nomination and will face Hatcher in November.
Ogles, who was endorsed by Trump, came under fire for controversial social media statements over the past several months. He was also investigated by the Justice Department over improper campaign finance allegations. The department seized his personal cellphone as part of the investigation, according to a previous report from The Center Square.
“Muslims don’t belong in America. Pluralism is a lie,” Ogles posted to social media in March. Additionally, Ogles' social media account had a post that said, “Homosexuality has no place in America." The post was deleted and Ogles blamed a staff member.
Hatcher focused his campaign on supporting Trump and pushing for stronger agricultural policy. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee went against Trump’s endorsement to vouch for Hatcher.
“Charlie Hatcher and I have been friends for 25 years," Lee said in a video. “For seven years, he served as my commissioner of agriculture. I know Charlie. I know his conservative values and how much he loves our country.”
Hatcher raised concerns about foreign ownership of farms in the United States. He said U.S. adversaries are seeking to gain intellectual property information from agricultural purchases in the state.
“Food security is national security and food is power,” Hatcher said. “It’d be my intention to protect American and Tennessee agriculture because it is the best agriculture on the globe. And we’re under threat from our adversaries.”
Hatcher also appeared to criticize Ogles for his rhetoric.
"Think about what President Trump could do if our congressman spent less time talking and more time doing," Hatcher's website reads.
Ogles is the ninth incumbent House member to lose a primary ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Three Republicans and six Democrats have lost their primaries.
Molder, the mayor of Columbia since 2018, has touted his legislative record of passing balanced budgets without property tax increases. He called for expanding healthcare coverage, lowering prescription drug costs and funding rural hospitals
“Protecting these vital healthcare resources is essential to improving health outcomes for all residents,” Molder’s website reads.
District 9
Pearson, 31, was first elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2023 after first serving in an acting capacity. Taylor quickly jumped into the race after the Tennessee legislature announced its new district maps.
Pearson defeated M. LaTroy A-Williams and state Sen. London Lamar.
Taylor beat Tennessee Rep. Todd Warner and Jeremy Thompson in the Republican primary.
Taylor, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, has called for supporting the president’s agenda and building a coalition to avoid impeachment.
“If we want strong borders, and we want to end illegal immigration, and we want to support President Trump and his laying out and implementing his agenda, and we want to provide impeachment insurance for President Trump in these final two years in office, we have to win,” Taylor said.
Pearson received an influx of support from prominent Democrats across the country. He has focused his campaign on increasing the minimum wage, doubling the earned income tax credit and supporting a guaranteed basic income for people who lost their jobs.
He has strongly advocated against building AI data centers in Memphis, an area that has seen an increased presence of the technology's development.
“I’m running for Congress to help lead that fight and hold billionaires like Elon Musk and giant corporations accountable for the damage AI is doing to our communities,” Pearson said.
District 8
Tennessee’s eighth congressional district was also affected by the state’s redistricting effort, as it took on greater portions of Memphis from the ninth district. Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tenn., will face off against Heidi Kuhn to represent the newly drawn district in November.
Kuhn defeated Dewey Gordon Bryan and Leonard Perkins for the party's nomination. Kustoff ran unopposed.
Kustoff, who was endorsed by Trump, has touted his tough stance on crime, his service as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, and his dismantling of tax mandates for individuals without healthcare.
“You are no longer forced by the government to buy insurance you don’t want or need,” Kustoff’s website reads. “I will continue to work to dismantle Obamacare once and for all so we can offer the best healthcare in the world.”
Kuhn, a criminal court clerk, said she is focused on expanding child tax credits, low-income housing credits and repealing cuts to SNAP made over the last year by the Trump administration.
“We deserve a future where families can afford to buy a home—not just get by,” Kuhn said. “I’m running for Congress to fight for lower costs and more opportunity for West Tennessee.”
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