Ogles blames clean-energy super-PAC spending for his Tennessee primary defeat

Republican Rep. Andy Ogles contended that a flood of external money, chiefly a $2 million spend by the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC, caused his loss in Tennessee’s 5th District primary. The clean-energy-focused super-PAC, whose war chest is largely supplied by Ripple founder Chris Larsen, outspent both Ogles and former Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, who spent $615,000 against Ogles’s $617,000. The group’s ads attacked Ogles for missed votes and labeled him a “show horse,” while portraying Hatcher as a “workhorse.”

Redistricting reshaped the district, leaving Ogles with only 17 % of his former constituency and diminishing the usual incumbency edge, according to a Republican operative. Though the operative also cited Ogles’s modest cash on hand and alleged lack of seriousness, Ogles insisted he campaigned actively across the district. He offered assistance to Hatcher, denied any plans for a comeback, and said his focus is on helping the House speaker retain control.