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 Tennessee 5th Congressional District candidate, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles to the newsmaker line to discuss his recent campaigning efforts, why he’s the best choice for Tennessee and the upcoming Epoch Times debate.
Leahy: We are joined on the newsmaker line, our good friend, Mayor of Maury County, Andy Ogles. Good morning, Andy.
Ogles: Good morning. How are you today?
Leahy: Oh, I hear a rumor that you are a candidate for the 5th Congressional District GOP nomination, the election to be held less than a month from today, on August 4th.
Ogles: Yeah, I tell you what, it was a hot weekend campaigning, but we tried to squeeze in some family time, saw some fireworks. It was a good time.
Leahy: So talk about the weekend campaigning. It was hot. I tried to stay in my air-conditioned house as much as possible over the weekend, but I saw the thermometer going high 90s, maybe even squeezing up to 100 degrees. What sort of campaign activities did you do over the 4th of July, Andy?
Ogles: Yesterday in Franklin, they had a festival downtown and so we had a booth set up there. There were just tons of people, but you’re on blacktop and the heat index is 100 degrees.
We all sweated buckets, but it’s just part of the process when you sign up to do these things. And we finished back in Maury County and went up to the Maury County Park and saw a lot of folks again, walked around, shook hands, and then we just did a brief video and took off the campaign hat. We sat there as a family, watched the fireworks and came home and had some ice cream.
Leahy: You’ve got now less than a month until Election Day. Early voting starts on Friday. What are you seeing out there when you talk to folks?
Ogles: People are fed up with the nonsense. You’ve got this woke agenda that’s really being crammed down our throats and it’s time to fight back.
And kind of case in point that with the situation with the guardsmen across the country being fired here in Tennessee, we have the same problem and we’ve got to stand up for freedom and liberty. That’s why I’m running for Congress. The future of my children is at stake.
Leahy: This district, which previously included all of Davidson County and parts of Dickson and Cheatham counties just a little bit, was a safe-Democrat district.
Now it’s got the southern third of Davidson County, the western half of Wilson, the eastern half of Williamson, all of Maury, all of Marshall, all of Lewis. It’s considered a likely-Republican seat. There are nine qualified candidates.
You’re one of those nine, you’re the mayor of Maury County, one of the largest voting blocks in this new district. A lot of people are saying you are the most conservative candidate in the race. Tell us why you fit that category.
Ogles: I think a lot of people will claim to be the most conservative, but I think when you look at who I’ve aligned myself with, that speaks louder. I mean, the House Freedom Caucus has endorsed me.
I’ve got the support of Jim Jordan, Congressman Perry, who’s chairman of the House Freedom Card Caucus, and Mark Meadows, a close adviser to President Trump.
These are very conservative individuals who have led this country, leading this country. They looked at all the candidates. I’ve got a track record of fighting. I don’t back down. I’m polite but don’t back down. And then most recently, you have Veterans for Trump. Veterans for America First has endorsed me as well.
Leahy: Yes. The group Veterans for America First endorsed you in this race. They’ve also endorsed Lauren Boebert, Sarah Palin, Hershel Walker, and Kari Lake, among others. Why did they give you their endorsement?
Ogles: It gets back to their identifying America First candidates across the country. I’m clearly the most conservative. Again, I’m the MAGA candidate. If you’re a supporter or a fan of Trump and his policies – he’s an imperfect vessel, but his policies certainly have changed this country for the better.
And then Biden was elected, and now look at it. Inflation and unemployment and all of these things that we know are really taking us backward from where we were just a couple of years ago. Think about fuel prices a few years ago versus where we are today.
Leahy: The election is on August 4th. The early voting begins a week from Friday. You’re one of three considered frontrunners, at least based on the amount of money raised.
The other two are former Speaker of the Tennessee House Representatives Beth Harwell and retired Brigadier General Kurt Winstead. Why should voters pick you over those two?
Ogles: Again, actions speak louder than words. I’ve been fighting against the mandates. I’ve stood with our first responders over the mandates and stood for healthcare workers.
And then I’ve been talking about this issue with our guardsmen for a year and a half, warning that we have to protect their right to choose for themselves.
I know it’s still out there, but I think for most people, we’re through COVID, and yet we’re going to fire people who have dedicated their lives to our country and servicing the National Guard because they don’t want to take the vaccine.
That’s wrong. People are giving up their careers, and their needs, and losing pensions. Enough is enough. Let’s get back to freedom and liberty. And again, I’ve been fighting for these causes. I’ve got the track record to prove it.
And it should be noted, that no one else in this campaign two years ago when the mandates were coming down, no one else stood with me.
No one else backed me up when I was being raked over the coals in the media, when my family was getting death threats, there was silence.
It was just me and a handful of other leaders across the state that were fighting these issues – and I think, by most metrics, was the leader fighting against those mandates.
And here we are. I’m going to take that same fight, that same dedication to the people, for my children to Congress.
Leahy: One week from tonight, The Epoch Times is hosting a different kind of debate in downtown Nashville. The Masonic Lodge there. They’ve invited you and four other candidates to attend.
I think Jeff Beierlein, retired Brigadier General Kurt Winstead, and Tres Wittum, have accepted their invitations, from what I understand. We don’t know if Beth Harwell is going to show up. It’s going to be a different kind of debate.
Hans von Spakovsky will be there asking questions. It will be subject matter experts. Hans is an expert on the Constitution and election integrity, from the Heritage Foundation.
Questions about China will be asked by Gordon Chang. What’s your attitude going into that debate? And it will be kind of a national debate, be a lot of visibility for that.
Ogles: Yes, I’m excited. This is the opportunity on a national stage to be heard. And you got some really amazing folks that are going to be on this panel asking questions. And I won’t say it will be fun but I’m excited.
Listen to the interview:
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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.
I even saw a couple of TV commercials from No Record Candidate Jeff Beierlein! With a week and a half to go before early voting Andy Ogles campaign consists of personal appearances by Andy. . .makes one think of the campaigns during the good old days – about 1888 I think. So far not a single Ogles mailing has hit my mailbox, I haven’t heard a single Ogles commercial on the media nor have I seen a single Ogles yard sign nor am I aware of a single Ogles fundraiser. Wonder what he intends to do with the money he has raised? This is a campaign of a loser who is just going through the motions of running. We need a conservative who can really beat ole’ General Weathervane – VOTE HARWELL.
are you being paid to pretend Harwell is a conservative and not the person behind the gas tax?