Tennessee Primary Election Results 2026: Tennessee’s new congressional map has already changed the state’s political landscape, but Thursday’s Republican primary showed that the biggest surprise can still come from inside a party’s safest territory. U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, a strong ally of President Donald Trump, lost his Republican primary in the newly drawn 5th Congressional District to former Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher.
Hatcher’s victory puts him in position to compete for the heavily Republican seat in the November 3 general election. Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder won the Democratic nomination and will face Hatcher in the general election. The result also gives fresh attention to Tennessee’s May redistricting, which dramatically changed the boundaries of several congressional districts just months before the primary.
The primary also set up a major contest in the newly redrawn 9th District, where Democratic state Rep. Justin Pearson will face Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor in November. Taylor has Trump’s backing, while Pearson emerged as the Democratic nominee after defeating several rivals.
Tennessee Primary Election Results 2026: Andy Ogles Loses Trump-Backed Republican Primary
Andy Ogles entered the primary with a major advantage: Trump’s endorsement.
The Republican congressman had built a strong national profile through his conservative positions and close alignment with Trump. He also received support from the House Freedom Caucus and other Republican figures during the campaign.
But the endorsement was not enough to secure another term.
Former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher defeated Ogles in the Republican primary for the 5th Congressional District. Hatcher campaigned as a conservative and emphasised his record in agriculture while also presenting himself as supportive of Trump’s agenda.
The Associated Press reported that Hatcher led Ogles by roughly 53% to 47% when the race was called.
The result marks an unusual setback for a sitting Republican congressman backed by Trump, particularly in a district that strongly favours the GOP.
Tennessee Primary Election Results 2026: Charlie Hatcher Wins in Newly Drawn District
The shape of the 5th District played an important role in the race.
Tennessee Republicans approved a new congressional map in May, only a few months before the August primary. The redrawing significantly changed the boundaries of several districts across Middle and West Tennessee.
The new 5th District includes areas that were not previously represented by Ogles. Reports indicate that only a small portion of the old district remained within its new boundaries, leaving Ogles to introduce himself to a large number of unfamiliar voters.
Hatcher benefited from support from Gov. Bill Lee, under whom he served as agriculture commissioner for seven years. That backing gave him a powerful alternative to Trump’s endorsement of Ogles.
After his victory, Hatcher told the Associated Press, “The message resonated, and the message was: Work like a farmer, get things done and serve others.”
Tennessee Primary Election Results 2026: Why the Redistricting Matters?
The Tennessee primary was the first major electoral test of the state’s new congressional map.
Republican lawmakers redrew the boundaries after the Supreme Court weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minorities, according to reporting on the redistricting fight. The changes particularly affected districts across Middle and West Tennessee.
The new map broke up the long-standing Democratic stronghold centred on Memphis and divided Shelby County among multiple congressional districts.
Republicans currently hold eight of Tennessee’s nine House seats and have targeted the redrawn map as part of their effort to strengthen their position heading into the November midterms.
The new boundaries have also made several races less predictable because candidates must now campaign across areas with different political and demographic backgrounds.
Tennessee Primary Election Results 2026: Ogles’ Congressional Record Under Scrutiny
Ogles faced several controversies during his time in Congress.
The conservative lawmaker attracted attention over his campaign finances and statements about his educational background. In 2024, the FBI seized his cellphone during a campaign-finance investigation, although the Justice Department later agreed to return the device. He also acknowledged previously misrepresenting his college degree.
Despite those controversies, Trump continued to support Ogles.
Trump endorsed him as he sought another term and previously described him as “a Conservative Warrior.”
Ogles entered Congress in 2022 after a previous round of redistricting created a district that strongly favoured Republicans.
His latest defeat means he will not return to the House after the current term.
Tennessee Primary Election Results 2026: Charlie Hatcher Faces Democrat Chaz Molder
Hatcher will now move to the November general election, where he will face Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder.
The 5th District remains strongly Republican, giving Hatcher an advantage heading into the general election.
Molder secured the Democratic nomination, but Democrats face a difficult path in a district designed to favour Republicans.
The November race will therefore focus less on whether the district can turn Democratic and more on whether Hatcher can maintain the momentum he gained from defeating a Trump-backed incumbent.
Tennessee Primary Election Results 2026: Justin Pearson Wins Democratic Primary in District 9
Another major Tennessee race emerged from the state’s redistricting battle in the 9th Congressional District.
State Rep. Justin Pearson won the Democratic primary and will face Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor in November.
Pearson has become a nationally known Democratic figure since 2023, when Tennessee lawmakers briefly expelled him from the state House after he joined a protest supporting gun-control measures. Voters later returned him to office.
Taylor, meanwhile, has Trump’s endorsement and has positioned himself as a conservative candidate in the newly configured district.
The race could attract national attention because the district previously served as a Democratic stronghold centred on Memphis.
Tennessee Primary Election Results 2026: New District Changes Memphis Political Map
For decades, Memphis formed the core of a Democratic congressional district.
The new map changed that arrangement.
Republican lawmakers divided Shelby County among three congressional districts and extended the boundaries of the former 9th District deep into rural Tennessee. The new district now includes communities far outside Memphis, creating a much different electorate.
The Tennessee Lookout reported that the redistricting was designed to eliminate the state’s last Democratic-held congressional seat centred around Memphis.
The new 9th District now leans Republican, making Pearson’s November campaign considerably more difficult despite his Democratic primary victory.
Tennessee Primary Election Results 2026: Pearson Criticises New Congressional Boundaries
Pearson has strongly criticised the new map and argued that it weakens the voting power of Memphis communities.
Speaking to supporters, Pearson pointed to the anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and argued that the redistricting had weakened representation for Black voters.
“The political dilution and degradation of our rights is happening,” Pearson stated, adding, “We’re one step closer to Washington, D.C.”
His Republican opponent, Taylor, responded by describing Pearson as “the face of the extreme left in this race — the same activist who has repeatedly put chaos over order.”
Tennessee Primary Election Results 2026: Brent Taylor and Justin Pearson Head to November
The November contest between Taylor and Pearson will bring sharply different political positions into focus.
Pearson has opposed Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Memphis and has focused on issues including civil rights, environmental policy and gun control.
Taylor has supported the deployment and has backed tougher immigration enforcement. He also sponsored a 2024 Tennessee law requiring law enforcement agencies to communicate with federal immigration authorities about undocumented individuals.
With the district now favouring Republicans, Taylor enters the general election with a structural advantage.
But Pearson’s strong support among Memphis voters could make the race one of the most closely watched congressional contests in Tennessee.
Tennessee Primary Election Results 2026: Tennessee Primary Results Set Up November Battles
The August 6 primary reshaped several of Tennessee’s most important House races.
In District 5, Hatcher defeated Trump-backed incumbent Andy Ogles and will face Democrat Chaz Molder.
In District 9, Pearson secured the Democratic nomination while Taylor won the Republican primary, setting up a November contest that could test the limits of Tennessee’s new congressional map.
The results show that endorsements remain influential but do not guarantee victory, even in strongly Republican districts. Ogles’ defeat also demonstrates how dramatically redistricting can change the political environment for an incumbent.
Tennessee Primary Election Results 2026: What Tennessee Voters Should Watch Next
The November 3 general election will determine whether Republicans can turn their advantage under the new congressional map into an even stronger hold over Tennessee’s House delegation.
For Hatcher, the immediate challenge is to hold the heavily Republican 5th District after defeating a sitting congressman.
For Pearson, the task is much tougher: he must expand his support beyond Memphis and compete across a district that now reaches into more Republican-leaning parts of Tennessee.
The two races therefore offer different tests of the state’s new political landscape. Hatcher’s victory shows the power of a reshaped electorate, while Pearson’s campaign will test whether a strong Memphis base can overcome the Republican advantage built into the new 9th District.
