Key facts
- The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition, a group supporting clean energy, spent $2 million in the Tennessee 5th District Republican primary.
- The PAC's spending aimed to defeat Andy Ogles, a Republican backed by President Trump.
- Ogles took credit for rolling back tax credits.
- Hatcher, endorsed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, won the primary.
- The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition's spending significantly outpaced that of Ogles and Hatcher.
A Republican primary in Tennessee's 5th District saw a significant intervention from the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition, a group focused on clean energy, which spent $2 million to influence the outcome. The coalition's spending aimed to unseat Andy Ogles, a Republican who had received backing from President Donald Trump and who had taken credit for rolling back tax credits.
Ogles, in comments made on a radio show, criticized the coalition and suggested their actions were an attempt to intimidate conservatives in Congress. He referred to the group's donors as "billionaires" and government support for such initiatives as misguided.
The race, typically a safe Republican seat, gained national attention due to the substantial outside spending. The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition's $2 million expenditure dwarfed Ogles' own campaign spending of $632,000 and his opponent Hatcher's $614,000, based on disclosures filed up to July 17.
Another super PAC, the Freedom Caucus Fund, also spent $789,000 in favor of Ogles and against Hatcher. A Republican strategist, speaking anonymously, viewed the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition's efforts as a sophisticated move to remove "hard right figures" and support a more "governing conservative" in the district.
Hatcher received a late endorsement from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. Hatcher previously served as the state's agriculture commissioner under Lee from 2019 to 2025. President Trump had urged voters to support Ogles in a tele-rally, calling him a "friend" and a "terrific guy."