Trump's endorsement collides with $1.3M effort to oust House ally

A key congressional primary race will serve as a test of President Donald Trump's political weight on Thursday night.

Voters in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District are headed to the polls to decide between Trump-backed Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., and Republican Charlie Hatcher, the former state agriculture commissioner, who scored an 11th-hour endorsement from Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday evening.

Ogles, one of Trump's most vocal allies in Congress, is seeking a third term representing the Middle Tennessee district, which includes part of the Nashville suburbs. Hatcher is the state's former Agriculture commissioner under Lee, and served as Tennessee State Veterinarian before that under both Democrat and Republican administrations.

"I'm not really surprised at all. You know, they're friends," Ogles said of Lee endorsing his rival.

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He argued that his endorsements, including Trump and House GOP leaders, prove that he's the more conservative choice in the race.

"The golden endorsement that anyone wants is that of President Trump's, which I have. And I think Trump has really done a good job of making sure that he's choosing conservatives in races, which is also why I have the endorsement of [House Speaker] Mike Johnson, you know, conservative stalwart. [House Judiciary Committee Chair] Jim Jordan has endorsed me," Ogles said.

"And so you just go down the list of my endorsements, it's that of the conservatives, whereas my opponent has less conservative folks, shall we say, endorsing him."

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And having Trump's backing is not a small edge in deep red Tennessee, which Trump won by double digits in 2024. He bested Vice President Kamala Harris by roughly 18 points in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District that year.

But despite that and his incumbency advantage, Ogles has still faced a tough race this year with a clean energy super PAC spending more than $1 million to unseat him.

The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition super PAC spent roughly $1.3 million against Ogles and in favor of Hatcher. The group boasts billionaire Chris Larsen as a top donor, who also previously donated to Harris' presidential campaign.

Ogles is a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, whose members have built a reputation as being thorns in the side of House GOP leaders.

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But Ogles, for the most part, has avoided that label. He instead acted as a key liaison between Johnson and his right flank on several pieces of legislation, which has apparently earned the Louisiana Republican's loyalty in response.

Johnson spoke in support of Ogles at a tele-rally on Tuesday night, warning that he was the best choice against Democrats who would take the country down a "dark, dangerous, deadly road to communism" should they win in November.

"I think everybody who's listening to our voices tonight understands we have a fateful midterm election coming up," Johnson said. "We have to keep and maintain and grow the republican majority in the House, and Andy Ogles is a key part of this majority."

The House speaker also lauded Ogles as one of his top negotiators on extending Trump's tax cuts in the "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act" earlier this year, as well as other measures.

"We're working with a one or two vote margin, and at the end of the day when things are tight, Andy Ogles is one of the members who's a small handful of guys who helps deliver the vote," Johnson said. "He helps me, he's my agent on the floor, you know, he's making sure that we corral the votes and get these things done. So he has an outsized influence in Congress, and he's a critical member of this team."

Lee said in a video released Tuesday night that he and Hatcher have been friends for 25 years and that he's "stood with President Trump since day one," touting him as a conservative with strong right-wing values.

Hatcher thanked Lee for his endorsement on Facebook and added, "In Congress, I will work hard, serve people, and get the job done by pursuing sensible, problem-solving solutions. I will defend our conservative values, support President Trump’s agenda, and fight to lower the cost of living for Tennessee families."

But despite Lee invoking Trump in his endorsement, the pair have notably split on a Republican primary race once before. Trump endorsed Republican Bobby Harshbarger for a state Senate seat over a Lee-backed incumbent in 2024. Harshbarger ultimately won, and Trump denounced Lee as a "RINO" in a Truth Social post afterward.

Fox News Digital reached out to Hatcher's campaign for comment.