Tennessee GOP. Rep Andy Ogles fends off primary challenge

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) has won the GOP nomination for another term representing his House district, fending off a well-financed primary challenger, Decision Desk HQ projects.

Ogles, who was first elected to represent Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District in 2022, defeated Nashville Metro Council member Courtney Johnston for the nomination and will be the favorite to win reelection in November in the leaning-conservative district.

A member of the House Freedom Caucus, Ogles has gained a reputation as one of the most conservative members of the chamber. He joined more than a dozen other House Republicans in holding out on backing now-former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) bid to lead the body, putting the House at a standstill for days in January 2023. 

He eventually came around to support McCarthy and did not back the ultimately successful effort to remove him as speaker last October. 

But Johnston attacked Ogles as a “do-nothing” Republican who has not accomplished much outside of getting headlines. She slammed him in one recent ad for not leading on addressing border security and inflation. 

Ogles has stirred controversy on a couple occasions while he has served concerning his background and campaign finances. 

In late February of last year, Ogles acknowledged misstating his college degree on his resume and received a liberal studies degree instead of one in international relations. This came after a local Tennessee outlet detailed “exaggerations” in Ogles’s personal story. 

Ogles also faced some scrutiny over amendments he made to his 2022 Federal Election Commission filings. A nonpartisan congressional watchdog filed an ethics complaint against Ogles in January alleging he lied on his forms, and Ogles eventually amended his filing to report that he loaned his campaign $20,000 instead of $320,000. 

Ogles said he had “pledged” to use up to the $320,000 for his campaign but ultimately did not need to use that much. 

Johnston went after Ogles for these controversies and sought to position herself as candidate who will notch policy achievements where the incumbent has not. 

Johnston narrowly outraised Ogles in the primary, bringing in nearly $800,000 to Ogles’ more than $700,000. 

But Ogles had the support of former President Trump and top Republicans like Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Mike Lee (Utah) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). 

Ogles told Punchbowl News ahead of the primary that he was not “taking anything for granted” in the race. 

“We’re being outspent but we’re working harder,” he said. “We’ve got the grassroots and our polling looks good. You never take your foot off the gas.”