TN-05: Andy Ogles (R)

REPLACING:

Jim Cooper (D)[i]

WORK HISTORY:

Maury County, Tennessee (Mayor); The Club for Growth Foundation (Fellow); Laffer Center (Executive Director); Americans for Prosperity Tennessee (State Director); Abolition International (COO)[ii]

EDUCATION:

BS, Middle Tennessee State University; Graduate Degree, Vanderbilt University –Owen School of Management[iii]

CAMPAIGNED ON:

Illegal Immigration; Defending the 2^nd Amendment; Defunding Planned Parenthood & Upholding Pro-Life Values; Increasing State Control of Education[iv]

ON THE ISSUES

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

Ogles believes life begins at conception and has pledged to “commit to protecting the rights of the unborn from the point of conception, block taxpayer funding of abortion everywhere, and defund Planned Parenthood.”[v]

ECONOMY, JOBS & TAXES:

Ogles has argued that increasing domestic production of energy will “turn [the economy] around.” He also believes the economy can be stimulated with fewer regulations and fewer “tax burdens.”[vi]

HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:

Ogles says he became a “nationally recognized expert on tax policy and healthcare” while working at the Laffer Center, an organization that has advised the White House and other politicians on tax policy in the past.[vii] Ogles has publicly criticized universal healthcare, referring to it as “socialized medicine.”[viii] Throughout the pandemic, Ogles has been opposed to mask mandates.[ix] Ogles also stated that he would rather “go to jail” than enforce a vaccine mandate for county employees while he was Maury County mayor.[x]

IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:

Ogles believes in strengthening border security, claiming “a borderless nation cannot establish itself as a nation.” He is in favor of providing law enforcement with additional resources to enforce immigration laws and “common-sense reform that will attract and keep highly-skilled entrepreneurs” from other countries.[xi]

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:

Ogles has been critical of the “Defund the Police” movement, claiming it has “led to the highest murder rate in 20 years.”[xii] Ogles has stated that he stands with police, and specifically defended a police officer that was terminated in August 2020 for ripping the mask off a Black Lives Matter protestor.[xiii] Ogles has stated he will “continue to Back the Blue 100% while in Congress.”[xiv]

GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS & ELECTION SECURITY:

Ogles has vowed to increase government accountability and secure the voting process, saying “we can never allow what happened to Trump happen to anyone else ever again.” Ogles believes in continuing “the process of draining the swamp.”[xv] Ogles responded to the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg by stating “Time to confirm ANOTHER CONSERVATIVE JUSTICE.”[xvi]

EDUCATION:

Ogles is opposed to interference by the federal government in education and believes in an “individualized approach.” He has stated that the Department of Education “should not be involved in our children’s education.” Ogles wants the power of the Department of Education to transfer back to the states.[xvii]

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:

Ogles has stated that he believes in returning to the American production of natural gas, oil, and restoring drilling and pipeline developments.[xviii] Ogles also supports Americans achieving energy independence.[xix]

BIG TECH & DATA PRIVACY:

Ogles was critical of Google after it banned the conservative social media platform Parler on January 8, 2021, in the wake of the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol.[xx]

GUN SAFETY:

Ogles is a strong defender of the Second Amendment and has sworn to “fight tirelessly” to protect the right to bear arms. Ogles has stated that “disarming the people is the most effective way to enslave them.” He believes protecting the right to keep and bear arms is essential for “preventing tyrannical rule” and a “fundamental liberty of our constitutional republic.”[xxi]