Term Limits: A Player in the Primaries

The big story so far must be that the incumbent representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee lost in the primary for his Tennessee fifth congressional seat.

This is the same Andy Ogles who introduced a bill to amend the 22nd Amendment to allow President Trump to run for a third term.

While the bill and Trump's pronouncements on the subject stoked fears, largely performative, I'm sure, about Trump refusing to leave the White House, we at U.S. Turner Limits never took this seriously.

In fact, the Ogles bill did not attract a single co-sponsor, and in the end, Representative Ogles lost a Republican primary in a deep red district.

He was roundly ridiculed for his bill, even amongst Republicans, which surely played a role in his defeat.

Now, the president, for his part, continues to troll the media with threats he will run again.

He was rewarded with laughter at the recent correspondence dinner in Washington in July when he put on a red campaign hat and announced he looked forward to winning a fourth, yes, fourth campaign for president.

Anyway, Ogles was defeated by the former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr. Charlie Hatcher.

Who's expected to win the general election in November against Columbia Mayor Chas Mulder in this very deep red district? And yes, Charlie Hatcher has indeed signed USTL's congressional term limits pledge.

Thanks for asking.

He will be a co-sponsor and voter for the congressional term limits amendment bill.

There are currently about 150 such signers in the US Congress.

Next, speaking of pledges.

What better way is there to gauge the power of the term limits issue in this year's elections than to look at the record number of politicians that have pledged to support term limits if they win? As you hopefully recall, U.S.

Term Limits has two primary pledges we ask politicians to sign.

The Congressional Term Limits Pledge, such as the one Charlie Hatcher signed, and the state-level pledge to support the Article 5 Term Limits Convention resolution.

I mentioned we have about 150 incumbent Congress members who have signed the congressional pledge.

Now, what's exciting about this election cycle is that 705 candidates and incumbents have signed the pledge this cycle.

Now, to give you some basis of comparison, that number was 353 in 2024.

No need to reach for a calculator.

I have one right here.

That's a double, friends.

Candidates are hearing from the people and they are picking up their pens and signing the pledge.

Now, even more exciting is the explosion of support for the Article 5 Term Limits Convention Resolution.

Twelve states, including two in 2026, have officially called for an amendment proposing convention under Article 5 of the U.S. Constitution limited to the subject of congressional term limits.

The big story so far must be that the incumbent representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee lost in the primary for his Tennessee fifth congressional seat.

This is the same Andy Ogles who introduced a bill to amend the 22nd Amendment to allow President Trump to run for a third term.

While the bill and Trump's pronouncements on the subject stoked fears, largely performative, I'm sure, about Trump refusing to leave the White House, we at U.S. Turner Limits never took this seriously.

In fact, the Ogles bill did not attract a single co-sponsor, and in the end, Representative Ogles lost a Republican primary in a deep red district.

He was roundly ridiculed for his bill, even amongst Republicans, which surely played a role in his defeat.

Now, the president, for his part, continues to troll the media with threats he will run again.

He was rewarded with laughter at the recent correspondence dinner in Washington in July when he put on a red campaign hat and announced he looked forward to winning a fourth, yes, fourth campaign for president.

Anyway, Ogles was defeated by the former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr. Charlie Hatcher.

Who's expected to win the general election in November against Columbia Mayor Chas Mulder in this very deep red district? And yes, Charlie Hatcher has indeed signed USTL's congressional term limits pledge.

Thanks for asking.

He will be a co-sponsor and voter for the congressional term limits amendment bill.

There are currently about 150 such signers in the US Congress.

Next, speaking of pledges.

What better way is there to gauge the power of the term limits issue in this year's elections than to look at the record number of politicians that have pledged to support term limits if they win? As you hopefully recall, U.S.

Term Limits has two primary pledges we ask politicians to sign.

The Congressional Term Limits Pledge, such as the one Charlie Hatcher signed, and the state-level pledge to support the Article 5 Term Limits Convention resolution.

I mentioned we have about 150 incumbent Congress members who have signed the congressional pledge.

Now, what's exciting about this election cycle is that 705 candidates and incumbents have signed the pledge this cycle.

Now, to give you some basis of comparison, that number was 353 in 2024.

No need to reach for a calculator.

I have one right here.

That's a double, friends.

Candidates are hearing from the people and they are picking up their pens and signing the pledge.

Now, even more exciting is the explosion of support for the Article 5 Term Limits Convention Resolution.

Twelve states, including two in 2026, have officially called for an amendment proposing convention under Article 5 of the U.S. Constitution limited to the subject of congressional term limits.