Republican Rep. Andy Ogles, who is facing an FBI investigation, has been quietly campaigning against his Democratic opponent, Mariam Abolfazli, who this week lost her seat in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. They started attacking him in a dispute.
Ogles, a Creoka resident and former Maury County mayor, won’t buy any TV ads as he seeks a second term in Congress after defeating a moderate Republican to win the district seat in 2022. Not yet. After decades as a Democratic stronghold, the 5th District was rezoned two years ago to incorporate parts of Davidson County and red rural areas to give Republicans a voting advantage. It was done.
Abolfazli, who lives in Nashville, has become a frequent participant in state legislative activities, and although he entered the race with a deep deficit due to the district’s predominantly Republican political composition, he has recently decided to step up his campaign efforts. purchased two short television ads.
Mr. Abolfazli ran Monday by spotlighting Mr. Ogles’ failed mission to bring federal funds to Tennessee. She said the 5th Congressional District, which straddles parts of Davidson and Williamson counties and stretches from Wilson County to Maury, Marshall and Lewis, is one of the fastest growing regions in the nation. , says it needs new infrastructure. But Ogles was unable to help the district deal with the changes, she said.
“Typically, freshman congressmen bring about $12 million to their districts for their uses. Guess how much impact your Congressman Andy Ogles has had on the 5th District? Zero,” she says. “That’s not acceptable.”
Mr. Ogles has been away from public view in recent weeks, particularly after it was revealed that federal agents had seized his cell phone as part of a fraud investigation. But in the wake of Hurricanes Helen and Milton, he issued a press release Monday saying he has filed a bill to add $10 billion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster relief. This funding would be made available by rescinding approved IRS employee funding in 2022.
Columbia Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles reveals missing loans in new financial disclosures
Mr. Ogles admitted in September that he had failed to disclose in earlier filings a six-figure loan to the campaign from First Bank, which led to the Campaign Legal Center’s complaint. The nonpartisan watchdog group alleged nearly $1 million in financial discrepancies between Ogles’ House disclosure forms and campaign finance reports.
Ogles plotted to unseat Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy when he entered Congress two years ago, receiving an endorsement from former President Donald Trump on his re-election website. Trump’s support alone is expected to boost his support in states likely to give at least 60% of the vote to the Republican presidential nominee on Nov. 5. He also has support from Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty, Tennessee House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan.
Mr. Ogles reported income of $964,369 and expenditures of nearly $992,000 over the past two years. His latest filing lists no loans and $25,718 in cash on hand.
Abolfazli reported raising $403,300 and spending approximately $293,500 in the past six months. As of Oct. 16, she had about $110,000 on hand.
Abolfazli declines to mention Ogurus in her latest ad, describing herself as a working single mother who knows what it takes to support her family.
Abolfazli acknowledged that housing, health care and food are expensive, saying, “We need people in Congress who are working on this problem every day, not people who are paid by big donors.” In another 15-second ad, Abolfazli shows support for reproductive rights in states where abortion is illegal except in extreme circumstances.
“My son has been the light of my life for the past six years, but it was my decision to have a child. Every woman has the right to make that decision for herself,” she says.
Ogles’ website says she believes life begins at conception, adding: “We have a duty to protect life at every stage until natural death.”
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