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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee endorsed former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, the candidate running against President Donald Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles in a Republican U.S. House primary.
“Charlie Hatcher and I have been friends for 25 years,” Lee said in a video, noting that “for seven years, he served as my commissioner of agriculture. I know Charlie. I know his conservative values and how much he loves our country.”
Lee asserted that Hatcher “has stood with President Trump since day one.”
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Bill Lee, governor of Tennessee, during the 2026 Reagan National Economic Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on Friday, May 29, 2026. (Caroline Brehman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The governor’s last-minute endorsement on Tuesday came just ahead of the August 6th primary, but after early voting in the contest had already ended.
“Join me in voting for Charlie Hatcher this Thursday, August 6th,” Lee said in the video.
In part of a Facebook post that featured the governor’s video, Hatcher noted, “I am deeply honored to receive the endorsement of my longtime friend, Governor Bill Lee. Bill and I have known each other for decades, and I have tremendous respect for his faith, his leadership, and his commitment to serving the people of Tennessee.
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U.S. Congressional candidate Charlie Hatcher speaks during a campaign event at Southall Angus Monday, July 13, 2026. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
“I especially appreciate the faith he placed in me when he appointed me to serve as Tennessee’s Commissioner of Agriculture. It was an honor to serve in his administration and work on behalf of Tennessee’s farmers, families, and rural communities,” he noted in the post.
Ogles has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2023.
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Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., walks through the U.S. Capitol on February 03, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
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Trump endorsed him for re-election last year, calling him “a Conservative Warrior.”
