Democrats Target TN D-5 to Regain House Majority

It's a big election year, and Democrats have their sights set on Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. The seat, held by Republican Representative Andy Ogles, includes parts of Nashville, portions of Williamson and Wilson counties, and all of Maury, Lewis, and Marshall counties.

Though it's a solidly Republican-leaning district with an R +8-point advantage, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has zeroed in on the seat as a target district in the party’s attempt to undercut the Republican’s slim 218-214 House majority. Yesterday, the DCCC announced its first round of candidates named to the 2026 “Red to Blue” program who will receive extra attention and resources to help flip congressional seats.

Chaz Molder, currently the mayor of Columbia, TN, and running as a Democratic candidate against Ogles in D-5, was selected.

“Chaz was elected as the mayor of his hometown of Columbia, a city that voted for Donald Trump by double digits in 2018, defeating an incumbent Republican to become the youngest mayor in his city’s 200+ year history,” reads the release. “Chaz knows what it takes to win in tough places—he's done it twice before while Andy Ogles has never faced a strong challenger in his career.”

Molder has a history of running on unifying issues, which helped him successfully flip Columbia's mayoralty from GOP control eight years ago. Though the DCCC has named Molder its priority candidate to unseat Ogles, the field is stacked.

Molder’s strongest Democratic primary opponent is Metro Nashville Councilmember Mike Cortese (District 4), and three additional candidates are running on the Democratic ticket as well. Charlie Hatcher, the former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture under Governor Bill Lee, is challenging Ogles in the Republican primary.

Ogles’ opponents see an opportunity but seem to be pulling pages from the same playbook, highlighting the incumbent’s weak fundraising and past controversies, including ongoing investigations into alleged campaign finance violations. The battle may be uphill: throughout his tenure, Ogles has maintained strong loyalty among voters who feel the congressman has been targeted by baseless investigations due to his effectiveness. Ogles has been scrutinized about his lack of fundraising every time he has run in the 5th District, only to win with ample PAC support.