Trump-backed incumbent loses primary after super PAC bankrolled by Dems meddled in race
Rep.Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., was defeated in a primary challenge on Thursday evening by Republican challenger Charlie Hatcher, a farmer and the state's former commissioner of agriculture.Although the primary was far from a top-watched contest coming into the 2026 primaries, it served as a microcosm of larger forces at play in the Republican Party.
From a break in endorsements between President Donald Trump and Tennessee’s Republican Governor Bill Lee to millions being pumped into the district over environmental policy, the race attracted attention well beyond its borders.The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition super PAC had spent roughly $2 million opposing Ogles and supporting Hatcher.The group has raised $6.7 million this year, making Ogles a sizable portion of their spending this cycle.TOP TRUMP ALLY WARNS SUPER PAC BANKROLLED BY DEM BILLIONAIRE IS MEDDLING IN GOP PRIMARYCharlie Hatcher, Republican candidate for Congress, left, pictured next to incumbent Rep.
Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., right.(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect; Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)The way that Ogles sees it, it’s an attempt to show Republicans what happens when lawmakers attempt to claw back government funding for renewable energy sources.Like many other Republicans, Ogles has called to scale back renewable energy investments made under the Biden Administration."When you have a group spending roughly $2 million in a Republican primary, that tells you how much money they're making off of government subsidies, and they're upset that the government welfare has been taken away from them," Ogles told Fox News Digital in an interview.A Fox News Digital review of FEC filings discovered that the super PAC is bankrolled by Chris Larsen, the California-based billionaire chairman of Ripple, a financial technology company that, according to its website, offers crypto solutions for businesses.Larsen is also a frequent Democratic donor, having contributed $5,444,975 to support Kamala Harris's failed presidenti...