Tennessee Republican Primaries: Blackburn Wins Governor Nomination, Ogles Loses House Seat

Tennessee conducted Republican primary elections on Thursday, August 6, 2026, with multiple contested races decided. Sen. Marsha Blackburn won the Republican gubernatorial primary, defeating Rep. John Rose and Monty Fritts, according to NBC News, CBS News, and Fox News. NBC News reported that President Trump had decided not to endorse in the governor's race. Separately, in the U.S. House primary for Tennessee's 5th congressional district, first-term Rep. Andy Ogles lost to Charlie Hatcher, a former state agriculture commissioner, in what The New York Times described as an upset, noting Ogles had previously survived primary challenges despite controversy. In a related House race, Tennessee state Rep. Johnny Garrett won the Republican primary to succeed outgoing Rep. John Rose, who vacated his seat to run for governor, according to The Hill and Decision Desk HQ projections. Garrett, described as a "Trump Conservative," will face Democratic nominee Mike Croley, a former park ranger, in the November general election. Blackburn, a longtime ally of President Trump, is now positioned as the Republican nominee for governor and will proceed to the general election. The outcome of the Ogles-Hatcher race remains notable given Ogles' status as a two-term incumbent who had previously withstood primary opposition; specific reasons for his defeat were not detailed across sources. It is unresolved from the available reporting who Blackburn or Hatcher's eventual Democratic opponents will be in the general election, and vote margins or turnout figures were not provided in any of the reports. The broader implications of Trump's decision not to endorse in the gubernatorial primary, as reported by NBC News, were not corroborated or elaborated upon by other sources.