President Donald Trump on Friday endorsed former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher in the general election for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, and described Hatcher as “a Great ‘Trump’ candidate.”
Trump previously endorsed U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) last year, but in his endorsement of Hatcher, the president said that he “remained loyal” to Ogles despite the incumbent having “virtually no chance of winning” against Hatcher.
“Good luck Charlie! Run tough and hard,” wrote Trump in his post to Truth Social. “You have my Complete and Total Endorsement!”
The president also noted that eight of the nine candidates he endorsed in Tennessee successfully won their primary contests.
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 7, 2026
Though Hatcher benefited from $2 million in spending from the pro-clean energy Invest in Tomorrow Coalition (ITC) political action committee (PAC) during the primary, Punchbowl News recently reported that the group knew “nothing about Hatcher’s position” while making the investment.
Instead, ITC PAC chairman Tom Matzzie told the outlet it was opposed to Ogles due to his “extreme anti-clean energy” votes in Congress.
When Punchbowl asked Matzzie about the perception among Democrats that Hatcher will fare better against a Democratic opponent in the general election in the recently-redrawn 5th Congressional District than Ogles, the outlet reported Matzzie said ITC would not get “sucked into those partisan games.”
In a video posted to Facebook on Friday, Hatcher said the victory “still seems like a dream.”
“This victory wouldn’t have been possible without every volunteer, supporter, friend, and voter who believed in our campaign. Thank you for your trust, your prayers, and your hard work. I will never take your support for granted,” wrote Hatcher.
The Republican nominee wrote, “Now, it’s time to get back to work. I look forward to earning the support of even more Tennesseans as we head toward the general election.”
Hatcher will face Chaz Molder, the Democratic nominee and Mayor of Columbia, when voters head to the polls in November.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Charlie Hatcher” by Charlie Hatcher.Â
