Tennessee 5th District race 2026: Hatcher vs. Molder
General election, November 3, 2026 · U.S. House in Tennessee’s 5th District. Open in effect — Andy Ogles (R) lost the primary 46.8-53.2
Charlie Hatcher
Tennessee’s former Commissioner of Agriculture, a College Grove veterinarian and dairy farmer, nominated for the 5th District after unseating Andy Ogles.
Read the documented profile of Charlie HatcherChaz Molder
American politician; mayor of Columbia, Tennessee; 2026 Democratic nominee for U.S. House from Tennessee’s 5th congressional district
The general-election field as the board records it: Charlie Hatcher (R) vs. Chaz Molder (D)
The race at a glance
Board data as of . Ratings are the raters' own current calls; polls are the newest public ones with their field dates; money is what the committees reported. Nothing here is a forecast.
- Seat
- Open in effect — Andy Ogles (R) lost the primary 46.8-53.2
- Primary
- : Hatcher 36,546 (53.2%), Ogles 32,096 (46.8%); D Molder 17,730 (40.5%)
- Ratings
- Cook Solid R; Sabato Safe R; IE Solid R
- Newest public polling
- Impact (D, Molder) Aug 19–24 n=500: Hatcher 48 / Molder 40
- Reported money
- Molder $2.6M raised / ~$1.5M COH vs Hatcher $186,563 COH (Lookout)
- Notable
- Trump endorsed Ogles () and did a tele-rally; Ogles lost anyway.
Key dates in Tennessee
Read from the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Elections. The full guide, with the official tools, is on the Tennessee page.
- Voter registration deadlineMonday, October 5, 2026, for the November 3, 2026 State and Federal General Election. The Secretary of State's 2026 calendar prints this one date and does not give separate online, mail or in-person cut-offs. To register, use online voter registration, or download and complete the Voter Registration Application and mail it or deliver it by hand to your county election commission; applications can also be picked up in person at county election commission offices, county clerk's offices, public libraries and register of deeds offices. The Secretary of State's FAQ says a person who does not have an ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security cannot register online but can still register by filling out a paper form. sos.tn.gov
- Early voting beginsWednesday, October 14, 2026. The Secretary of State's 2026 calendar gives the early voting period for the November 3, 2026 general election as Wednesday, October 14 – Thursday, October 29, 2026. sos.tn.gov
- Deadline to request an absentee by-mail ballotSaturday, October 24, 2026. The Secretary of State's Guide to Absentee Voting says a registered voter may request an application for a by-mail ballot no earlier than ninety (90) days before the election and no later than ten (10) days before the election, and that, to be processed for the next election, the application must be received by the election commission no later than ten (10) days before the election. This is a received-by deadline for the request. The written request must be submitted, by mail or e-mail, to the local county election commission office by the tenth day before Election Day. sos.tn.gov
- Deadline to return an absentee by-mail ballotElection Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026: you must mail your ballot in time for your county election commission to receive it no later than the close of polls on Election Day. This is a received-by deadline, not a postmark deadline. You must return your ballot by mail (USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.); hand delivery or handing it to a poll worker during early voting or on Election Day is not permitted. sos.tn.gov
- Election DayTuesday, November 3, 2026 (State and Federal General Election). sos.tn.gov
- Polling place hours on Election DayElection Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The Secretary of State's pages reviewed for this guide do not print a statewide opening or closing time. Its FAQ answers the question “When can I vote?” this way: find your early voting and Election Day polling place and hours in the GoVoteTN app. Its Election Day page likewise sends voters to the GoVoteTN lookup (Search by Voter or Search by Address) for their polling location and ballot information. Absentee by-mail ballots must be received no later than the close of polls on Election Day. sos.tn.gov
Voting in Tennessee: dates, rules and official tools
Questions and answers
Who is running for the U.S. House in Tennessee’s 5th District in 2026?
Charlie Hatcher (R) vs. Chaz Molder (D) (as of Sep 15, 2026).
When is the election?
The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Voter registration deadline: Monday, October 5, 2026, for the November 3, 2026 State and Federal General Election. The Secretary of State's 2026 calendar prints this one date and does not give separate online, mail or in-person cut-offs. To register, use online voter registration, or download and complete the Voter Registration Application and mail it or deliver it by hand to your county election commission; applications can also be picked up in person at county election commission offices, county clerk's offices, public libraries and register of deeds offices. The Secretary of State's FAQ says a person who does not have an ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security cannot register online but can still register by filling out a paper form.
How do the raters see this race?
Cook Solid R; Sabato Safe R; IE Solid R (as of Sep 15, 2026).
What do the polls show?
Impact (D, Molder) Aug 19–24 n=500: Hatcher 48 / Molder 40 (as of Sep 15, 2026).
How much money has been reported?
Molder $2.6M raised / ~$1.5M COH vs Hatcher $186,563 COH (Lookout) (as of Sep 15, 2026).