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Republican Charlie Hatcher, a fifth-generation dairy farmer and former Tennessee commissioner of agriculture, ousted incumbent Rep. Andy Ogles in Thursday’s primary election. The victory marked a significant upset in a race that drew national attention despite initially appearing as a routine contest in the 2026 primary cycle.
A super PAC called Invest in Tomorrow Coalition spent approximately $2 million to oppose Ogles and support Hatcher, drawing from a total of $6.7 million raised this year. The group’s substantial spending in the district highlighted broader divisions within the Republican Party over renewable energy policy and government subsidies.
Ogles, backed by President Donald Trump, attributed his loss to opposition from Democratic-aligned donors upset over his efforts to scale back renewable energy investments made under the Biden administration. The billionaire funding the super PAC is Chris Larsen, a California-based chairman of Ripple, a financial technology company specializing in cryptocurrency solutions, who contributed nearly $5.5 million to support Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee endorsed Hatcher on Tuesday evening, citing their prior working relationship and praising the challenger’s conservative values and early support for Trump. The endorsement represented a notable break from Trump’s public backing of the incumbent, signaling fractures within the state’s Republican establishment.
Hatcher advances to the general election on November 3, where he is heavily favored to win in the Republican-leaning district. In 2024, Hatcher won re-election with 56.9% of the vote against Democratic challenger Maryam Abolfazli.
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