Sources close to Andy Ogles tell The Tennessee Star that he will announce later this week that he will focus on his bid for the TN-5 GOP nomination and will withdraw as a candidate for re-election as mayor of Maury County.
First elected mayor in 2018, Ogles is currently the GOP nominee for Maury County mayor in the Aug 4 county general election, which is scheduled to be held on the same day and in the same Maury County polling locations as the TN-5 GOP primary election.
Ogles was picked as the GOP nominee for mayor in a caucus earlier this year after the local county party chose to move from a primary to a caucus system for selecting party nominees. If Ogles withdraws from the county mayor’s race, there will be no GOP or Democrat candidates in the August 4 county mayor’s election. Instead there will be three independent candidates, all of whom have Republican affiliations.
The Columbia Daily Herald quoted Debbie Matthews, vice chairman of the Maury County Republican Party in an article. Matthews said, “We are in a tenuous position. We have to protect the county mayor seat.”
Matthews continued, explaining the situation that sees Ogles as the current GOP nominee in the Maury County mayor’s race. “We didn’t have time to hold another caucus to elect another Republican candidate for mayor.” she said. “Per state and county Republican bylaws, we are unable to endorse another candidate.”
Ogles first came to statewide prominence due to his stance as Maury County mayor opposing COVID-19 mandates and lockdowns.
The Tennessee Star previously reported that Ogles won the Wilson County GOP straw poll. Ogles came in first place with 112 votes, more than doubling his nearest competitor, Natisha Brooks, who finished in second with 55 votes.
Former Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell finished in third place with 49 votes. Morgan Ortagus and Robby Starbuck finished in fourth and fifth, with 42 and 38 votes respectively.
Other candidates in the race for TN-5 not previously mentioned include retired brigadier general Kurt Winstead, Senate aide Tres Wittum, Baxter Lee, Geni Batchelor, Stewart Parks, and Timothy Bruce Lee.
The Star reported on Saturday, that Morgan Ortagus, Robby Starbuck, Baxter Lee, and Stewart Parks were removed from the August 4 GOP primary ballot in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District by the Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee (SEC) due to verified challenges to their bona fide Republican status. All four, however, will have the opportunity to request restoration to the ballot before the SEC sends its final list of candidates qualified to appear on the GOP primary ballot to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office on April 21. A vote of 15 members of the SEC who represent areas included in the 5th Congressional District, as well as TNGOP Chairman Scott Golden, will make that determination.
Another issue that affects the TN-5 GOP primary field is the fate of the pending three-year residency requirement for federal candidates in primaries legislation that is likely to become law this week. A federal lawsuit has already been filed by Morgan Ortagus supporters challenging the legislation. If the legislation becomes law and withstands legal challenges, then Ortagus will be off the ballot regardless of how the TNGOP rules on the challenge to her ballot eligibility. Robby Starbuck would likely be off the ballot as well.
The 5th Congressional District consists of parts of Davidson, Williamson, and Wilson counties, as well as all of Maury, Marshall, and Lewis counties.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, and Parler.
Photo “Andy Ogles” by Andy Ogles. Background Photo “U.S. Capitol” by GPA Photo Archive.
