President Donald Trump is supporting U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles in a third congressional race, this time in the Republican primary against former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, despite questions about the sitting congressman’s finances.
Trump gave out the endorsement last week even as Ogles took on more than $50,000 in debt during the latest reporting period for legal consulting with the law firm Holtzman Vogel, financial reports show.
Similarly to most Republican candidates, Hatcher, a veterinarian, linked his election effort to Trump by saying the president would have made a good farmer because of his work ethic.
Hatcher could not be reached for comment, but seemingly unperturbed, he said in a statement to the Tennessee Journal, “Never quit anything before, not quitting now. Looking forward to earning Trump’s support.”
(READ MORE: With magistrate judge scheduled to retire, Ogles, FBI await ruling on search warrants)