A Trump-backed congressman lost his primary in Tennessee on Thursday as voters cast ballots for the first time under the state’s new congressional map.
Former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher defeated U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles in the Republican primary for the redrawn 5th District. Ogles had President Donald Trump’s endorsement and was seeking a third term. He also drew national attention earlier this year after saying Muslims and gay people had “no place in America.”
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Republican Gov. Bill Lee, former Gov. Bill Haslam and other Tennessee Republicans backed Hatcher. NBC News projected Hatcher as the Republican nominee in a district that strongly favors the GOP.
Thursday’s elections were the first held under congressional boundaries Tennessee Republicans drew in May. The map reshaped several districts, including the 5th, where 82% of voters are new to the district, according to an Associated Press estimate.
Before the redraw, the 9th District was centered on Memphis, where Black residents made up a majority of the district’s population. The new boundaries divide Shelby County among three congressional districts that extend beyond Memphis into rural areas.
In the redrawn 9th District, Trump-backed state Sen. Brent Taylor will face Democratic state Rep. Justin Pearson in November.
Pearson drew national attention after the Tennessee House expelled him for protesting in support of gun control measures. Voters later reelected him.
The redrawn 9th now stretches from Memphis across rural parts of the state before reaching north toward Nashville. About 71% of its voters are new to the district, according to an AP estimate.
After the redraw, longtime Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen said he would not run for another term.
Republicans already control eight of Tennessee’s nine U.S. House seats and are trying to sweep all nine in November. The redraw followed a series of Supreme Court decisions that narrowed federal Voting Rights Act protections, changes that gave states greater latitude in drawing congressional maps.
Trump backed the Tennessee redistricting while pursuing a broader national strategy to preserve Republicans’ narrow House majority in the midterm elections.
The new map raised concerns among some Memphis voters, who told AP they worried that Black voters and Memphis residents would have less influence under the new districts.
In another House race, state Rep. Johnny Garrett won the Republican primary for the open 6th District. Republican U.S. Rep. John Rose did not seek reelection so he could run for governor.
In the governor’s race, Sen. Marsha Blackburn defeated Rose in the Republican primary. She will face Memphis City Council member Jerri Green, who won the Democratic nomination.
Republicans have held Tennessee’s governor’s office since 2011. If elected, Blackburn would become the state’s first female governor.
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