Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has endorsed Charlie Hatcher in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District, a slight to Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles two days before the primary election on Aug. 6.
Hatcher served in Lee's cabinet as agriculture commissioner for more than seven years. Lee cited their decades-long friendship and common experiences as farmers and businessmen in his endorsement.
Hatcher is a fifth-generation dairy farmer, veterinarian and businessman who served as Tennessee’s agriculture commissioner for seven years. Before that, he was Tennessee's state veterinarian. Hatcher owns and operates Hatcher Family Dairy in College Grove, which has been in the Hatcher family since 1819 and supplies milk to Publix, Whole Foods and other stores
in Middle Tennessee.
Hatcher has earned endorsements from former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, former Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and former U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp.
Lee has rarely waded into Republican primaries — and his decision to support a challenge of a sitting incumbent is notable. When Lee has endorsed in the past, it's typically been in contests for open seats, or endorsements of sitting incumbents.
Last year, Lee endorsed now-U.S. Rep. Matt Van Epps in the special Republican primary for the 7th District, and he went on to win the seat. Another Lee administration alum, Van Epps led the Department of General Services briefly before stepping down to run for Congress.
If Hatcher defeats Ogles on Aug. 6, he will likely face Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, the frontrunner in the Democratic primary.
Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Lee endorses Hatcher for Congress over incumbent Ogles in TN-5
