Inside Elections Shifts Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District In Favor Of Mayor Chaz Molder

COLUMBIA, TN: Today, elections prognosticators Inside Elections shifted their predictions for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District towards Democrats citing Mayor Chaz Molder’s strong fundraising record and ability to mount a serious challenge to embattled Republican Andy Ogles.

“I’m in this race because Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District deserves a representative that makes local headlines for the right reasons instead of national headlines for the wrong reasons,” Chaz Molder said. “While Andy Ogles is running for re-election to stay out of prison, I’m running to lower the price of groceries, make housing more affordable, and bring down the cost of healthcare. I’m proud of the broad coalition we are building that is going to win next November and I’m excited to make that case to even more of my neighbors over the next year.”

Chaz Molder was first elected as Columbia’s mayor in 2018 after unseating a 2-term Republican, then re-elected in 2022 against a local Republican County Party Chair. A fiscally responsible problem solver and coalition builder, Molder has worked across the aisle to pass seven balanced budgets with no property tax increases while investing in education and public safety. 

A product of local Tennessee public schools, Molder and his wife Elizabeth are raising their three children in Columbia where Chaz also teaches Sunday school in the same place his own father taught him.

During the first 24 hours of his campaign’s launch, Molder broke Tennessee records by raising $500,000.

Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District is being targeted by Democrats as a top flip-opportunity in 2026. 

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