The Battle for the 5th Could Be Tennessee’s Most Competitive Race

The contest for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District is proving to be one of the state’s most competitive races, as Republican nominee Charlie Hatcher struggles to defend Trump policies that he admits are hurting American’s wallets.

Following successful gerrymandering efforts by the state’s Republican supermajority, the 5th — which until 2022 was a Democratic stronghold encompassing Davidson County — now has a completely different look. It includes the western half of Williamson County, along with all or portions of 16 other counties, stretching all the way to Memphis. The winner of this race will succeed outgoing U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, who was defeated by Hatcher in August’s Republican primary.

On Oct. 10, Hatcher appeared alongside President Donald Trump at a Clarksville rally, where he urged economic patience amid rising fuel prices.

“I know we are facing fierce economic headwinds,” Hatcher told the crowd. “Just give it a little time. We’ll get that taken care of.”

“We cannot afford voter apathy,” he said — a message he’d visibly scrawled across the palm of his hand ahead of his speech, along with other notes.

Hatcher, a Williamson County dairy farmer, veterinarian and the state’s former agriculture commissioner, leans heavily into his farmer identity as a candidate. The Republican argues that he will bring “common sense” to Washington, D.C., a long-repeated promise of GOP candidates of days past.

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“I live 50 feet from the dairy farm, so there’s this constant smell of cattle manure,” Hatcher said during an Oct. 21 Spring Hill forum. “Any given day, I’ve got a little bit on me, so be careful shaking my hand.”

The forum was a rare opportunity for the public to hear competing ideas from the candidates ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3. Hatcher appeared alongside Democratic candidate Chaz Molder, the current mayor of Columbia, and independent candidate Micheál O’Leary. Organizers made sure to remind attendees that the event was not a debate. In September, both the Hatcher and Molder campaigns told Scene sister publication the Williamson Scene that they would debate the issues, but Hatcher told reporters after the forum that he was “satisfied” with what the event offered voters.

The 5th Congressional District race, like most races this election cycle, centers on affordability. The issue has been exacerbated by the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs on adversaries and allies alike, as well as by the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

At the Oct. 21 forum, Molder said his first priority if elected is to “work as hard as I can to work with as many people as I can across the political spectrum to reduce the cost of living by getting rid of the tariffs and bringing an end to this war.”

Meanwhile, Hatcher defended Trump’s tariffs, calling them “a tool in the toolbox, and it’s been very effective.” Hatcher instead blamed some rising costs on Biden era policies enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite his support for Trump’s policies, Hatcher agreed with Molder that the “quickest” way to reduce the cost of living would be ending the war in Iran. But he said he would support that decision only under two conditions. “No nuclear weapons, and they can’t have a stranglehold on global oil,” he said, promoting a long-term fix to “unleash American energy.”

While both major-party candidates have kept their talking points centered squarely on reducing the cost of living, the district’s next representative will be tasked with tackling a wide range of issues.

When speaking with reporters at the Spring Hill forum, Hatcher seemed unaware of several issues facing U.S. Congress, including ongoing Republican-led efforts to impeach U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth — an effort Hatcher said he doesn’t support.

Molder avoided the issue, telling reporters that he’s focused on affordability and healthcare and “not getting up there to play political games to talk about impeachment.”

Molder has said he believes Congress needs to act as a check on Trump, specifically in regard to declarations of war (the responsibility of Congress per the Constitution). Hatcher, however, told reporters he doesn’t “think it’s a big deal” for a president to unilaterally launch a war. As of this writing, the Pentagon lists the total number of American deaths in Iran at 21.

Molder later criticized Hatcher’s statement, telling the Scene, “That’s exactly why I’m running in this race, to show that I will not be a rubber stamp to failed policies.”

If Democrats retake the U.S. House, investigations into numerous Trump officials will likely be on the table, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. When asked if he thinks ICE has gone too far in Trump’s second term, Molder said yes, although he said he thinks Trump’s general border security efforts were correct. 

“It’s important that we have secure borders,” said Molder, “and the president, that’s been one of his initiatives, and I think the border is more secure today than it was before he got in. And that’s something that I’ve been consistent about on the campaign trail.”

Molder said he supports “fully invest[ing] in law enforcement,” adding, “ICE is not designed to be law enforcement agents, and that’s not what they should be doing.”

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“They should not be tearing families apart in the darkness of night,” he said. “If you’re here illegally, then there’s no place for you here if you’re committing a dangerous crime. If you’re here and you’re working, and you’re contributing to society, then you shouldn’t be stripped away from your families from a non-trained law enforcement agency.”

Molder also said he would “absolutely support” a congressional investigation into ICE. “The first thing I’m going to do when we’re elected to Congress is pick up the phone and call the Department of Justice and the [U.S.] attorney general to figure out what is going on with the task force in Memphis. We’re seeing violations of constitutional rights, due process rights. This is not right. This is wrong.”

Hatcher also voiced some concerns over ICE’s actions.

“I think you could see instances where [ICE] did [go too far], and Minnesota was one of those,” Hatcher said, referencing Operation Metro Surge — the large federal operation targeting Minnesota last winter that resulted in sustained protests and the killing of two American citizens by federal agents. “They’ve backed off since. I think we’re in a good spot now.”

Hatcher doesn’t support congressional investigations into ICE, saying the agency already “made a conscious attempt” to correct any issues.