National Democrats to target US Rep. Andy Ogles as ‘vulnerable Republican' in 2026
U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles is a top target for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee next year, as national Democrats lay groundwork in their attempt to claw back a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ogles' seat in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District landed on a list of 35 competitive districts held by 'vulnerable Republicans' identified by the DCCC. The campaign arm of House Democrats say the districts could the House Majority. Republicans currently hold an extremly narrow majority.
Ogles is the only Tennessee Republican on the list. House Republicans released a similar list of 26 target Democratic seats last month.
Republicans currently control the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives and the White House. Whatever party controls the White House typically loses some ground in the midterm elections, and next year, Democrats will seek to capitalize on voter frustrations over President Donald Trump.
Ogles is an outspoken supporter and close ally of Trump, having even introduced legislation seeking to give Trump a third term.
'Andy Ogles is running scared, and he should be,' DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said in a statement. 'From tanking the economy, gutting Medicaid, abandoning our veterans, to making everything more expensive, he has broken his promises to Tennesseans, and it's going to cost him his seat.'
The announcement comes days after U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., held a People's Town Hall in Nashville in an effort to highlight Ogles' unavailability to voters.
Ogles has not held an in-person town hall since his election in 2022, and was reelected after a campaign with no traditional public campaign events, despite calls to do so.
'The DCCC is already working to recruit authentic and battle-ready candidates in Tennessee who reflect this community and will work to better Tennesseans' lives, not line Elon Musk's and his D.C. party bosses' pockets,' DelBene said.
Still, the 5th District will be an uphill fight for the Democrats. The district once included all of the Democratic stronghold of Davidson County but was redrawn after the 2020 Census to favor the GOP.
The district now spans from Lebanon in Wilson County, through southern Davidson County, and south across Williamson, Maury, Marshall, and Lewis counties.
Ogles was elected in 2022, after winning a competitive nine-way primary with a significant ground game assist from the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity Action – his former employer.
But since then, his campaign has been plagued with investigations into its finances, complaints to the Federal Election Commission and reporting errors on his finance documents. For instance, he reported loaning his campaign more than $320,000 only to later say it was a pledge. He then updated his documents to eliminate any reference to the loan.
And last year, federal prosecutors seized Ogles' cell phone and email account in an investigation believed to be centered on his federal campaign finance dealings. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee withdrew the criminal investigation after Trump took office.
Riley Beggin of USA TODAY contributed.
Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: National Democrats to target Tennessee Republican Andy Ogles in 2026
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