TN-05: Embattled congressman (R) pitted against political activist (D) for District 5 seat

Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, facing an FBI investigation, is running a quiet campaign against Democratic opponent Maryam Abolfazli, yet she started attacking him this week in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.

Ogles, a Culleoka resident and former Maury County mayor, hasn’t purchased any TV ads as he seeks a second two-year term in Congress after winning the district seat in 2022 by defeating moderate Republicans. After decades as a Democratic stronghold, the 5th District was redrawn two years ago to combine a portion of Davidson County with red rural areas and give Republicans an advantage at the polls.

Abolfazli, a Nashville resident who has become a frequent participant in state legislative affairs, entered the race with a serious deficit caused by the district’s heavily Republican political makeup but recently bought two short TV ads to bolster her campaign.

Abolfazli ran a spot Monday taking Ogles to task for failing to bring federal funds to Tennessee. In it, she says the 5th Congressional District, which stretches from Wilson County, across part of Davidson and Williamson, to Maury, Marshall and Lewis, is one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation, requiring new infrastructure. But, she says, Ogles failed to help the district contend with change.


https://tennesseelookout.com/2024/10/30/embattled-congressman-pitted-against-political-activist-for-district-5-seat/