US Representative Andy Ogles has lost Tennessee's Republican primary to challenger Charlie Hatcher, marking a rare election defeat for a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump.
The Associated Press called the race for Hatcher on Thursday, with him leading Ogles 53.3 percent to 46.8 percent with 95 percent of precincts reporting.
Hatcher, Tennessee's former agriculture commissioner, will face Democrat Chaz Molder in November after Molder won the Democratic primary with 40.9 percent of the vote in a crowded field.
The primary was the first held under Tennessee's newly redrawn congressional map, approved by the Republican-controlled state legislature after the US Supreme Court weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minority voters.
Republicans currently hold eight of Tennessee's nine congressional seats and are seeking to win all nine in the November midterm elections.
Campaign controversy
Ogles' defeat followed controversy over a social media post widely criticised as Islamophobic by Muslim advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers.
"Muslims don't belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie," Ogles wrote on X.
Osama Jamal, secretary-general of the US Council of Muslim Organizations, condemned the remarks, saying: "Hate and discrimination against one another have no place in America."
Pro-Trump challenger
Although Hatcher did not receive Trump's endorsement, he was backed by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and campaigned as a supporter of the president while highlighting his farming background.
"The message resonated, and the message was: Work like a farmer, get things done and serve others," Hatcher told The Associated Press after his victory.
