Rep. Andy Ogles lost Tennessee’s Republican primary Thursday to Charlie Hatcher after a campaign that included President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Ogles and an advertising effort against the incumbent by a super PAC associated with a clean energy group.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Rep. Andy Ogles was defeated Thursday in Tennessee’s Republican primary, losing his bid to challenger Charlie Hatcher despite receiving an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
The result removed a member of the House Freedom Caucus from the Republican ticket after a primary campaign shaped not only by the candidates but also by outside political spending aimed at defeating the incumbent.
Tennessee conducts an open primary, allowing voters to participate without the same party-registration restrictions imposed in closed-primary states. The result Thursday night put Hatcher ahead of a sitting Republican congressman who had the backing of Trump.
Outside spending played a prominent role in the contest. A clean energy organization described as radical in coverage of the race supported efforts benefiting Hatcher, while the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition’s super PAC repeatedly targeted Ogles with advertising.
Those attacks helped give Hatcher greater exposure during the campaign. According to reporting on the Tennessee primary, Hatcher was elevated on the airwaves as the super PAC repeatedly ran attacks against Ogles.
The outside intervention provided an additional dimension to a Republican primary in which Ogles otherwise carried the endorsement of the party’s most prominent national figure.
Trump had endorsed Ogles in the race, backing the incumbent as he sought to retain his House seat. Ogles’ membership in the Freedom Caucus also positioned him among the chamber’s conservative Republican lawmakers.
That support was not enough to prevent Hatcher from prevailing Thursday.
Another post highlighting the outcome underscored the significance of the defeat for Ogles, who entered the contest as an incumbent with both Trump’s endorsement and his affiliation with the Freedom Caucus.
Hatcher’s victory therefore came after a race in which competing political forces converged: Trump publicly stood behind Ogles, while the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition’s super PAC used repeated television advertising against the congressman and helped raise Hatcher’s profile with voters.
By Thursday night, Hatcher had prevailed, ending Ogles’ primary campaign and defeating the Trump-endorsed Freedom Caucus member in Tennessee’s open Republican primary.
Original article
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