Republican Charlie Hatcher, a former member of Gov. Bill Lee’s administration, beat Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder in a closely watched race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.
National Democrats poured money into Molder’s bid to unseat Republican incumbent Congressman Andy Ogles, but Hatcher defeated Ogles in the primaries — despite an early endorsement from President Donald Trump. Both Hatcher and Ogles have since appeared alongside the president on the campaign trail, although Hatcher removed references to Trump from his campaign website after the primary.
Hatcher’s victory keeps District 5 red for a third term after lawmakers redrew the former Nashville district in 2022 to eliminate the city’s Democratic seat in Congress. Lawmakers redrew the map again in May so that it no longer touches Nashville or the hometown of either candidate. Redistricting moved Hatcher and Molder from the 5th Congressional District into the 9th, but they both continued their campaigns for the 5th under new state rules that suspended residency requirements for candidates.
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