Live from Music Row Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles in the studio to answer questions about a potential run for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District vacancy.
Leahy: In studio with me right now, from Obion County – the northwest part of the state – the Mayor of Maury County, that bastion of freedom, the turbocharged engine of economic growth, Andy Ogles. Good morning, Andy.
Ogles: Good morning. How are you today?
Leahy: Did I pronounce Obion correctly?
Ogles: Yeah, you did.
Leahy: Okay. All right.
Ogles: Rusty is a good guy, too.
Leahy: He’s a very good guy. I promised our listeners something, Andy. (Ogles chuckles) And so I always deliver on my promises. And so we want to ask – I’ll set the stage; here’s the big question.
We asked you this question two weeks ago, and we’re going to ask it again today. As our listeners know, the Tennessee 5th Congressional District boundaries have changed. It used to be all of Davidson County and a little bit of Dickson and Cheatham counties. It was a heavily Democratic district.
It’s been redistricted. It looks like the Democrats won’t challenge that. It’s been signed into law by Governor Bill Lee. I’ve seen no indication Democrats are going to challenge it. So it looks like it’s here to stay. Could change.
But it looks like it’s here to stay. That district now includes the southern part of Davidson County, the western part of Wilson, the eastern part of Williamson County. I’m on the far edge of it. I’m actually a resident of this new district.
All of Maury County, all of Marshall County, and all of Lewis County. Lots of people have announced already. A couple of people that I call new arrivals or, as we say in Tennessee, carpetbaggers. (Ogles chuckles)
Andy, you are born and raised in Tennessee. You’re a native of Middle Tennessee. You’ve lived here all your life. The big question for the Mayor of Maury County Andy Ogles. Have you decided whether or not you will become a candidate to run for the Republican nomination in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 5th Congressional District in Tennessee?
Ogles: One of the things you mentioned earlier, and it’s a bit surprising is the Democrats haven’t challenged this district. I’m surprised there’s not been a court case. So, going directly to your question, though, I’m still looking at it.
I’m one of those born-and-bred here, and I look at this field of candidates, and I’m a little disturbed, quite frankly, that we’ve become this destination for people to move from California and outside the state.
And nothing against anyone who’s relocated here, by the way. But what I would ask for you to do is to be here for a minute, put down some roots, actually vote here a time or two, (Leahy chuckles), and then, maybe, go out there and meet a few folks where you actually know somebody and then run for office.
Leahy: Now that makes sense, right? If you come in and you get to know people, get to know the district. You get the feeling that a couple of these carpetbaggers looked at a map of the United States and said, “where can I parachute in?” And immediately start to run for Congress and say, “oh, the 5th District of Tennessee! That sounds like a good place.”
Ogles: It’s a career move. For someone like me, I have three children. One of them is still a kindergartner and so the idea of going to Congress and traveling back and forth to D.C., that has a huge impact on my family. I have roots here. My family is going to stay here.
Our farm is here. So that means I’m away from my family if I do this. But that’s the kind of commitment that you want, because then you have someone who’s truly trying to serve the community. And quite frankly I want someone that doesn’t want to be in D.C. I want them to come home. I want them to be in the district versus relocating to Washington, D.C.
Leahy: And the answer to the question is …
Ogles: I kind of dodged it a little bit. (Laughter)
Leahy: Kind of? What’s the answer?
Ogles: I’m still thinking about it. I’m still looking at it. Obviously as the mayor of Maury County it makes sense for me to look at it. This would be greatly impactful for southern Middle Tennessee to have an actual mayor to become elected to Congress, but I still weigh that negative impact it’s going to have on my family.
Leahy: Do we have a final date by which you’ll make a determination?
Ogles: We’ll continue to talk about it. But the deadline is coming so I’ll have to make something public in the next couple of weeks.
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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
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