Anti-Muslim US Congressman Andy Ogles loses congressional primary | US Midterm Elections 2026 News
Trump’s Endorsement Falls Short for Tennessee Legislator
By [Staff Writer]
Published August 7, 2026
Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles was defeated in the Republican primary on Thursday by former state agricultural commissioner Charlie Hatcher, despite receiving an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
Ogles, known for his controversial statements regarding the Muslim community, lost by a margin of 6.6 percentage points with nearly 90 percent of the votes counted. This primary marks a notable instance where Trump’s endorsement did not yield success for a candidate in a Republican race.
Hatcher, who also positioned himself as a pro-Trump candidate, had garnered praise from Trump earlier on the day of the election, receiving a “complete and total” endorsement for Ogles.
Ogles, elected to Congress in 2022, was contesting in a newly drawn district after Republicans modified the electoral maps to strengthen their hold on the US House of Representatives. Hatcher will advance to the general election in November, where he will face Chaz Molder, the Democratic mayor of Columbia, located south of Nashville.
The Republican nominee received a last-minute endorsement from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. While the district tends to favor Republicans, Democrats are working to leverage dissatisfaction with economic conditions and ongoing geopolitical conflicts, such as the war on Iran, to gain ground across the nation.
Ogles has faced widespread criticism for his remarks regarding Muslims. In a post on social media platform X earlier this year, he stated, “Muslims don’t belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie.” His comments had drawn outrage from various political groups.
In 2024, during a Capitol Hill exchange with an activist, Ogles remarked on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, suggesting a violent solution to the issue of Hamas.
Hatcher publicly denounced Ogles’ anti-Muslim rhetoric, stating in June, “There’s Muslims that are American citizens, that are good, law-abiding people, and there are soldiers in the US Army that are good warriors.”
Ogles becomes the second Trump-endorsed candidate to lose in a primary race this week. On Tuesday, Amir Hassan, a Navy veteran supported by Trump, also faced defeat at the hands of Thomas Smith, a candidate who had suspended his campaign before the election.
As the midterm elections intensify, both parties are engaged in primaries to select their candidates. All 435 seats in the US House and 35 of the 100 Senate seats will be contested in November.
