Tennessee voters oust Trump-backed congressman, set fall matchup for redrawn Memphis-area House seat

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher defeated U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles in a Republican primary Thursday for a significantly reshaped congressional district - marking a rare rejection of a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump. The primaries provided the first test of a new U.S. House map that was redrawn in May by Republican state lawmakers after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minorities. But Trump gave him an early endorsement last fall - and praised him on Election Day as "a Conservative Warrior" - as Ogles sought a third term. The new 5th District stretches from Ogles' base in central Tennessee to the northwest corner of the state before snaking south along the Mississippi River to Memphis - with 82% of its voters new, according to an Associated Press estimate. The new 9th District stretches about 200 miles east from Memphis. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn defeated Rose in the GOP primary to succeed Gov. Lee, who is barred by term limits from seeking reelection. "The message resonated, and the message was: Work like a farmer, get things done and serve others," Hatcher told the AP after winning the primary. State Rep. Justin Pearson said: "The political dilution and degradation of our rights is happening." Voter Lonzo Taylor, 72, said: "We only had one district in the whole state of Tennessee, and you don't even want that to be fair?"