AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Tennessee's state primaries

WASHINGTON (AP) — Candidates for federal and state legislative posts will compete for their parties’ nominations in Thursday’s primaries in Tennessee. Among the notable current or aspiring lawmakers on the ballot are a member of the conservative U.S. House Freedom Caucus who's drawn a strong primary challenge and a Democratic state representative who was almost expelled from office following a demonstration in the chamber on gun control.

In the 5th Congressional District, Rep. Andy Ogles seeks a second term. Since his election in 2022, Ogles has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration and last year filed articles to impeach President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. He filed new articles to impeach Harris after she became the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination following Biden’s exit from the 2024 race.

In his first days in Congress, he was part of a group of Republicans who prolonged the race for House speaker by voting against Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California 11 times before eventually supporting him, though he later voted against the effort to oust McCarthy.

Ogles has faced several controversies since first seeking this seat two years ago. His record of late property tax payments became an issue in that campaign, but he ultimately won a crowded nine-way primary and went on to win the general election in the redrawn Nashville-area district. He was accused by a local news station of embellishing his resume and apologized for misstating his academic credentials. He also was the subject of an ethics complaint over his personal and campaign finances.