President Donald Trump suffered an embarrassing election humiliation this week, and GOP insiders are worried another is on the way.
On Tuesday, Navy veteran Amir Hassan lost his bid to be the Republican nominee for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District, losing to a candidate who suspended his campaign in July despite Trump boosting Hassan.
According to a report from Politico, there are now serious concerns that incumbent Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) may not make it to the November ballot despite getting the nod from Trump.
Ogles faces a surprisingly strong challenge from former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher in a newly redrawn district, with the redistricting forcing Ogles to introduce himself to new voters ahead of the primary.
A super PAC backed by renewable energy executives launched the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition and has spent $2 million attacking Ogles on television, forcing Ogles’ allies to launch “a rescue mission to avoid a stunning upset as he continues to lag in fundraising.”
Hatcher has outraised Ogles but has spent no campaign funds on television, Politico is reporting. Instead, he has focused on mailers, digital advertising, and canvassing. The super PAC’s repeated television attacks against Ogles have elevated Hatcher’s campaign on the airwaves.
One GOP operative described the situation bluntly: “The vibes aren’t looking great for him,” citing the new district boundaries and Ogles’ weak fundraising as vulnerability indicators.
A survey commissioned by Invest in Tomorrow Coalition showed Hatcher leading 37 percent to 33 percent, with 30 percent undecided — placing the race within the margin of error. No other public polling of the race exists.
Invest in Tomorrow Coalition chair Tom Matzzie boasted to Politico, “Polls haven’t closed yet but this race has already sent a very clear message to politicians in both parties: you will be punished if you stand in the way of America’s energy future. We have forced Andy Ogles to call in support from the President of the United States, the Speaker of the House, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in ad spending from a friendly super PAC—all in the hopes of surviving what should have been a shoo-in re-election campaign.”
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