- Frequent opposition to mask mandates and shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic may be framed as prioritizing ideology over public health and safety concerns (Daily Herald, Daily Herald)
- Resistance to child well-being checks, which Ogles called "Orwellian," could be criticized for opposing efforts aimed at child safety and welfare (Daily Herald)
- Calls for pardons of most January 6 Capitol participants and description of pre-trial detentions as "criminal" expose Ogles to attacks that he is downplaying the severity of the Capitol attack and undermining rule of law (WKRN Interview)
- Sharp criticism of executive pandemic actions as "power grabs" and assertions that mandates were unconstitutional signal a pattern of incendiary rhetoric that might appeal to a narrow base but alienate moderates (Daily Herald)
- Consistent framing of public health guidelines as infringements on liberty, rather than pragmatic safety measures, can be portrayed as a failure to balance individual rights with collective responsibility (Daily Herald)
2020: Ogles Advocated Focusing On Liberty And Personal Responsibility Over Mask Debates According to Daily Herald, '“We are having the wrong conversation,” Ogles said in July. “We are debating masks when we should be discussing liberty, freedom and personal responsibility. I took an oath to defend our constitution and I will do so.”' [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Framed Mask Debate As Issue Of Liberty And Constitution According to Columbia Daily Herald, "We are debating masks when we should be discussing liberty, freedom and personal responsibility. I took an oath to defend our constitution and I will do so." [Columbia Daily Herald, 7/8/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Characterized Mandates As 'Insanity' And Urged Defense Of Liberty According to Columbia Daily Herald, "Over the last few months, we have become a nation of cowards who have given ourselves over to fear to overreaching executive orders to political correctness into to a mob mentality," Ogles continued. "The insanity has to stop. We must regain our footing and defend our constitution. Our sacred liberty." [Columbia Daily Herald, 7/8/20]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Spoke On The Importance And Cost Of Personal Freedom At The 9/11 Memorial Event According to Daily Herald, "At the downtown gathering, Ogles spoke on the importance of personal freedom and its cost." [Daily Herald, 9/16/20]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Cited Personal Liberty In Mask Decision According to Daily Herald, 'I, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, choose not to infringe on your liberty, but rather to stand in the gap,' he said. 'This is a decision that I have not made lightly. My point is about perspective, about proportional response. We have flattened the curve. We have slowed the spread.' [Daily Herald, 7/9/20]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Framed Mask Debate As Issue Of Liberty According to Daily Herald, "'We are having the wrong conversation,' Ogles said. 'We are debating masks when we should be discussing liberty, freedom and personal responsibility. I took an oath to defend our constitution and I will do so.'" [Daily Herald, 7/9/20]
2020: Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Opposed Child Well-Being Checks Program According to The Daily Herald, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles "staunchly opposed the new program calling the program's announced changes a victory. 'This has gone too far,' Ogles said. 'The leveraging of COVID-19 to systematically removing our liberties has got to stop. This is a Trojan horse. It will not be tolerated in Maury County. I will not comply as a county mayor, and I will not comply as a father. I don't need the state to raise my children,' Ogles continued. 'Keep your business out of mine and I will keep mine out of yours. It is that simple.'" [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 8/19/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Called Stopping Well-Being Checks Program a Victory According to The Daily Herald, Ogles described the removal of the child well-being checks guidance as a victory, stating in a social media post, "The liberal and Orwellian child wellbeing checks plan has been stopped. This ill-contrived program is a Trojan Horse assault on privacy and parental rights." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 8/19/20]
July 2020: Ogles Argued Mask Debate Should Shift To Focus On Liberty And Responsibility According to Daily Herald, "We are having the wrong conversation," Ogles said in July. "We are debating masks when we should be discussing liberty, freedom and personal responsibility. I took an oath to defend our constitution and I will do so." [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
August 2021: Ogles Called On Tennessee General Assembly To Address Gov. Lee's 'Abuses Of Power' According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles issued a proclamation Wednesday calling on the Tennessee General Assembly to convene a special session to address what he called Gov. Bill Lee's 'continued abuses of power.'" [Daily Herald, 8/13/21]
2021: Ogles Claimed He Advocated For 'Freedom, Liberty And Individual Rights' During COVID-19 According to Daily Herald, "The county mayor emphasized that he was calling on the General Assembly to defend freedom, liberty and individual rights by limiting the powers of the governor's office and its use of 'unconstitutional executive orders.'" [Daily Herald, 8/13/21]
2021: Ogles Stated He Was Not 'Anti-Vaccine' Or 'Anti-Mask' But Pro-Choice On Health Measures According to Daily Herald, "I am not anti-vaccine. I am not pro-vaccine I am not anti-mask. I am not pro-mask. That is your choice." [Daily Herald, 8/13/21]
2020: Ogles Criticized Regional COVID Shutdowns As 'Power Grabs' According to Daily Herald, 'Ogles equated regional shutdowns as "power grabs" that "infringe on the rights of their people" with "permission from the governor."' [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
Ogles Called COVID-19 Shutdowns 'Power Grabs' Enabled By Governor According to Daily Herald, "Ogles equated regional shutdowns as 'power grabs' that 'infringe on the rights of their people' with 'permission from the governor.'" [Daily Herald, 12/22/20]
November 2021: Andy Ogles Cited Constitutional Rights And State Sovereignty To Justify Emergency Declaration According to The Daily Herald, 'Ogles said that states must defend their liberties and freedoms by whatever mechanism they have.' "I have sworn and oath to God and the people of Maury County to protect the constituents of the State of Tennessee and the United States," Ogles said during the press conference last Thursday. [...] Ogles argues that state sovereignty protects the Constitutional liberties of its citizens within the state." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/23/21]
July 2020: Ogles Framed Mask Mandate Issue As Constitutional And About Liberty According to Daily Herald, "We were debating masks, when we should be discussing liberty, freedom and personal responsibility." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 7/8/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Framed Mask Mandates As An Issue Of Liberty According to an opinion piece by James Bennett in Daily Herald, "Some think remarks [Ogles] made about 'liberty' set him up perfectly with his base for his next opportunity, perhaps a run for Congress [...] ‘We have become a nation of cowards who have given over to fear, to overreaching executive orders, to political correctness. The insanity has to stop,’ Ogles said in announcing he would not mandate masks in Maury County." [James Bennett - Daily Herald, 7/18/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Encouraged Voluntary Mask Wearing Despite Refusal To Mandate According to an opinion piece by James Bennett in Daily Herald, "But to his credit, at least Ogles encouraged everyone to wear masks, even if he did not require them. Few appeared to be listening to his loose advice, so it’s up to Lee to show leadership and cut this pandemic off at the pass." [James Bennett - Daily Herald, 7/18/20]
July 2020: Ogles Declined To Issue A Mask Mandate In Maury County According to Daily Herald, "Seaton posted the online petition earlier this week following Ogles' July 7 announcement that he would not issue the requirement that a face mask be worn when in public and 'infringe' on the 'liberties' of the county's residents." [Daily Herald, 7/24/20]
July 2020: Ogles Cited Constitutional Concern Over Mask Mandate Power According to Daily Herald, "Ogles said the current executive order, giving authority to county mayors to mandate mask requirements, violates the 'intent' of emergency powers in state law and violates Section 2 Article II of the Tennessee Constitution which states 'no person or persons belonging to one of these departments shall exercise any of the powers properly belonging to either of the others, except in the cases herein directed or permitted.'" [Daily Herald, 7/24/20]
July 2020: Ogles Framed Mask Debate As Issue Of Liberty And Responsibility According to Daily Herald, "We are having the wrong conversation," Ogles said. "We are debating masks when we should be discussing liberty, freedom and personal responsibility. I took an oath to defend our Constitution and I will do so." [Daily Herald, 7/24/20]
July 2020: Ogles Advised At-Risk Residents To Wear Masks Via Facebook According to Daily Herald, "During a daily afternoon update posted on his Facebook page, Ogles continues to give loose guidance on the matter, calling most on those with preexisting conditions to wear a mask while in public." [Daily Herald, 7/24/20]
Andy Ogles Identified As Constitutionalist And Opposed COVID-Related Mandates According to Daily Herald, "Instead of a politician, Ogles called himself a Constitutionalist, proclaiming that mandates and restrictions during COVID, such as requiring masks were unconstitutional." [Daily Herald, 6/13/21]
2021: Ogles Criticized Gov. Lee's Handling Of Mask Mandate Authority During COVID-19 According to Daily Herald, "Ogles said the pandemic and the executive orders brought on by the pandemic have muddied the waters between the two roles of state government. He argues that the emergency powers Lee has given to mayors during the pandemic, such as placing mask mandates on counties, is unconstitutional, according to some statutes in the Tennessee Constitution." [Daily Herald, 8/13/21]
2021: Ogles Opposed Forced Masking And Forced Vaccination Policies According to Daily Herald, "Ogles added that he is working to protect the state's children from forced mask-wearing and for leaders to better respect the choices of parents in managing the health and wellbeing of their own children. He also said he wants to protect all people from 'forced vaccination' for COVID-19 from the government or businesses." [Daily Herald, 8/13/21]
2022: Andy Ogles Called for Pardons of Most January 6 Capitol Participants and Criticized Pre-Trial Detention In an interview with WKRN, Andy Ogles said, "That is a storied institution that should forever and always be respected, and those people are guilty of trespassing. Insurrection? That’s ridiculous. Ultimately, they should be pardoned and the fact that people are being held without due process is criminal in and of itself." [Interview - Andy Ogles with WKRN, 9/1/22]