Ad Watch: Chaz Molder Drops Pair of Ads Attacking Charlie Hatcher

Ad 1: “Hatch” 

Transcription:

Molder: “I’m Chaz Molder and I approve this message.”

Narrator: “Politician Charlie Hatcher. He’s hatching up some ideas, but his ideas? They’ll bite you.

“Like Charlie Hatcher’s support for the war in Iran, leading to high gas prices eating away our wallets.

“Or Hatcher’s support for tariffs that are hurting businesses and bankrupting farmers while we pay more.

“Or Hatcher’s support for tax breaks for billionaires, paid for by deep cuts to nursing homes and rural hospitals.

“Charlie Hatcher. His bad ideas? They bite.”

Ad 2: “Snooze”

Transcription: 

Molder: “I’m Chaz Molder and I approve this message.”

Narrator: “Rise and shine, Tennessee!

“But not Charlie Hatcher. As the voice of rural schools, he missed every single meeting, claiming he was too busy to decide how to spend billions in education dollars.

“And as commissioner, Hatcher got six reminders to apply for funding for local farms, but still missed the deadline, and Tennessee taxpayers had to foot the bill.

“Charlie Hatcher. Out to lunch. Out of excuses.” 

Analysis: Democrat Chaz Molder released two new ads this week, attacking Republican opponent Charlie Hatcher as voters start to cast ballots in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.

The first ad accuses Hatcher of “hatching” up bad ideas, hammering affordability issues by criticizing Hatcher’s support of the war in Iran, tax cuts and tariffs, specifically attributing impacts on rural hospitals and the farming industry to Hatcher to appeal to the newly drawn district, which spans from Middle to West Tennessee, covering many rural communities. The second ad questions Hatcher’s public service record, including his time as Commissioner of Agriculture, during which the state missed the deadline to apply for more than $7 million in federal funding for food banks and farms in 2024. 

The ads come a week after Hatcher put out his own ad encouraging voters to “hire the farmer,” and elect him to the seat currently held by Rep. Andy Ogles, who lost to Hatcher in the Republican primary.

Molder has pivoted toward offense against Hatcher since releasing another attack ad last month, which blasted Hatcher’s support of data center development. 

A poll released last week showed Molder within 5 percentage points of Hatcher, with 11 percent of respondents still undecided, suggesting a competitive race as early voting began this week. In a release, Molder said his campaign has “momentum,” because “the more voters learn about Charlie Hatcher, the less they like what they see.”

“He should know better than anyone what Tennessee farmers are up against, but he supports tariffs that are bankrupting them, a war that’s driving up gas prices and tax breaks for billionaires paid for by cuts to nursing homes and rural hospitals,” Molder said. “And when it was his job to show up for rural schools and local farms, he couldn’t be bothered. Tennesseans can’t afford to send Charlie Hatcher to Washington.”

According to the campaign, both ads will run on digital platforms, and “Hatch” is also airing on television.

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