WILL ZACH WAMP ENDORSEMENT SHAKE UP THE 5th? Former Congressman Zach Wamp has endorsed Charlie Hatcher for Congress in the Fifth District GOP Primary.
Rep. Andy Ogles, facing former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher in his Republican primary bid for reelection, suffered a significant blow on Thursday when Hatcher landed the endorsement of conservative Wamp. Wamp’s son, Weston, is the Mayor of Hamilton County, while his daughter, Coty, is the District Attorney General for the county. Wamp represented the Chattanooga area when he served in Congress for nearly years.
President Donald Trump has endorsed Ogles in the race.
“I am honored to have the support and endorsement of former Congressman Zach Wamp,” Hatcher said. “His conservative leadership and commitment to Tennessee values have made a lasting impact on our state, and I greatly appreciate his confidence in our campaign.”
Wamp endorsed Hatcher at a fundraiser at Greg Norman Signature Golf Course in College Grove on May 28. The endorsement comes after the Legislature redrew congressional lines in Tennessee and drew Ogles’ top Republican and Democrat challengers out of the 5th District.
Ogles’ top congressional staff, along with officials from President Trump‘s administration, were reportedly actively involved in drawing the new 5th District map that left just 17% of voters from the old district intact. The new map made the district about four points more Republican than before and was part of efforts to eliminate the racially drawn Ninth District in Memphis following the Supreme Court ruling in Callais v. Louisiana.
Previously, the 5th district included areas south and west of Nashville. It now includes parts of Franklin and Clarksville, with downtown Memphis and 14 other rural counties along Tennessee’s northern border, and then down the western border. The new 5th District borders Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
Although Hatcher no longer resides within the new district’s boundaries, he chose to continue his campaign against Ogles. As a resident of Williamson County, Hatcher is still eligible to run in the new 5th district.
Since launching his bid in November, Hatcher has raised $412,000 in donations and contributed another $133,000 personally. He had $214,000 on hand on March 31, according to FEC filings.
Ogles has consistently had fundraising problems and has raised about $334,000 in total contributions, with only $85,000 in cash on hand, according to his latest filing. His campaign also has $70,400 in outstanding debts.
Chaz Molder, the Mayor of Columbia and likely Democrat nominee, has raised approximately $2 million at this point. His last financial report dwarfed both Ogles and Hatcher. https://tristardaily.com/political-notebook-show-me-the-money/
Hatcher, a fifth-generation dairy farmer, veterinarian, and businessman, served as Tennessee’s agriculture commissioner for seven years. Before that, he was the state veterinarian. He also owns and operates Hatcher Family Dairy, which supplies milk to Publix, Whole Foods, and many other stores in Middle Tennessee.
The Wamp endorsement is unexpected, but not unprecedented. Wamp has a history of supporting candidates that rival those backed by Trump. In 2020, he backed U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Manny Sethi, who faced now-U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty. Sethi earned 38% of the vote to Hagerty’s 52% in 2020. Wamp also chose to lead the Marco Rubio campaign in Tennessee rather than support President Trump in 2015. Trump has easily carried Tennessee in both his primary and general election campaigns.
Wamp served nine terms in Congress representing the Chattanooga and Oak Ridge areas before leaving to run for Tennessee governor in 2010, but lost the GOP primary to Bill Haslam, who went on to handily win the general election.
