A first-term member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, he won his first primary as an incumbent on Thursday night.
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., held off a challenge from Metro Nashville Council member Courtney Johnston, who ran a more moderate campaign compared to the rookie Republican.
It was a much-needed political victory for the Freedom Caucus this election cycle after its chairman, Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., narrowly lost reelection in June and faces long odds in a recount Thursday.
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Rep. Andy Ogles is fighting his first primary race for re-election. (Fake Images)
Good had faced Republican challenger John McGuire, who had the backing of House GOP national security hawks including House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Reps. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., among others.
According to financial reports, Johnston barely edged out Ogles in fundraising. His earnings through July 12 show he raised nearly $785,000 in individual contributions, compared to Ogles’ total of just over $500,000.
He also sought to link him to Good and the successful effort by seven other Republicans to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., last October, though Ogles was not one of the eight who voted to end McCarthy’s leadership.
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House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good is fighting for his political life in a recount on Thursday. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“I think the current president has created chaos. The impeachment of McCarthy was an absolute abomination, really. Not just for the Republican Party, but for Congress as a whole,” he told a local outlet. WPLN.
But Ogles had the backing of top national Republicans, including former President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
“Andy is working hard to grow the economy, stop inflation, protect our southern border, defend the rule of law and our Second Amendment,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in May. “I was proud to help Andy win a Democratic seat in 2022, and he has my full and complete endorsement for re-election. He will not let you down!”
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Ogles received an endorsement from former President Trump. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)
Ogles won Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District in November 2022 after its boundaries were changed to include less of downtown Nashville, which had previously made it a solidly blue seat.
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Under its current lines, however, the seat leans red: District residents voted for Trump over President Biden in 2020 by just over 10 points.
Ogles defeated his Democratic rival in 2022 by similar margins.
