Martha Ingram, the matriarch of Nashville philanthropy and one of the state's wealthiest and most influential civic and business leaders, died peacefully yesterday surrounded by her family. Ingram was 90.

Ingram's philanthropic contributions essentially created Nashville's fine arts scene as it exists today.

• Ingram was renowned for her generosity, donating from her personal fortune and spearheading fundraising for causes too numerous to list.

Ingram is credited with helping build the civic infrastructure around many of the city's biggest art institutions.

• When the Nashville Symphony and Schermerhorn Symphony Center were facing financial calamity a decade ago, Ingram stepped in as a savior.
• She was instrumental in the formation of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in the 1970s, and more recently played a pivotal role in the successful push to build a new fine arts facility on the East Bank.
• She also served on boards for the Nashville Opera and the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

"Martha left everything she touched better for her having passed that way — I can think of no finer epitaph for a great Nashvillian, Tennessean, and American," former Gov. Phil Bredesen said.

Read the full obituary

Tennessee is poised to elect its first woman governor this year, with Republican Marsha Blackburn and Democrat Jerri Green facing off in November.

The latest: Blackburn and Green secured their nominations in yesterday's primary. The Associated Press called both wins.

• Blackburn, who was the first woman in Tennessee elected to the U.S. Senate, is the odds-on favorite heading into the general election in the deep-red state. (She won her last statewide race in 2024 with more than 63% of the vote.)
• Democrats are hoping a favorable midterm landscape could give Green a boost.

Zoom in: Blackburn faced U.S. Rep. John Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts in the Republican primary.

• Rose mounted a muscular campaign. He put $13 million of his own money toward the effort and blanketed local TV with ads, but he failed to overtake Blackburn, who entered the race as the frontrunner.

Green bested four other candidates on the Democratic ballot.

Zoom out: Thirteen independent candidates for governor have qualified for the November ballot, according to the Tennessee secretary of state.

What's next: The general election is Nov. 3. Early voting will run Oct. 14–29.

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Former state agriculture official Charlie Hatcher ousted Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles to win the District 5 House Republican primary election yesterday.

• Hatcher will face Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, who won the Democratic primary.

Why it matters: A primary loss is rare for an incumbent member of Congress, especially a Republican backed by President Trump.

• Ogles, who took office in 2023, was dogged by scandals, such as misrepresenting his resume and failing to explain a personal loan on his campaign finance reports.

Zoom in: A tractor-full of outside money, mostly from a clean energy group, and some prominent Republican endorsements boosted Hatcher's campaign. On the other hand, Ogles struggled on the fundraising front despite Trump's support.

• Gov. Bill Lee and former Gov. Bill Haslam endorsed Hatcher.

What's next: Molder is a viable Democratic opponent with an organized campaign powered by impressive fundraising numbers.

Between the lines: Ogles' four years in Congress have been marked by bombastic statements that received backlash from both sides of the aisle.

• Ogles called for the denaturalization and deportation of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
• Following an immigration raid in Nashville last year, he requested a federal investigation of Mayor Freddie O'Connell, but the inquiry apparently never went anywhere.
• After conservatives criticized this year's Super Bowl halftime show, Ogles called for a congressional investigation into the NFL.
• Although crime has been declining in Nashville, Ogles asked for the National Guard to be deployed here.
• He recently said "Muslims don't belong in American society."

💭 Nate's thought bubble: I asked Mayor O'Connell to comment on Ogles' loss.

• "Who?" O'Connell replied.

More congressional primary results:

District 6

In the race to replace Rose in the House, state Rep. Johnny Garrett won the Republican primary, defeating former Congressman Van Hilleary. The district covers a large section of eastern Davidson County.

• Garrett will be the favorite against Democratic primary winner Mike Croley.

District 9

State Rep. Justin Pearson, who is one of the Tennessee Three, won a competitive primary, which included state Sen. London Lamar.

• Pearson will face Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor in the race to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen.

Read the full state results

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In a nailbiter, former state trooper Mark Proctor won the Democratic primary to replace outgoing District 59 state Rep. Caleb Hemmer.

• Proctor, who won by 78 votes, will face Republican Bill Hancock.

Nashville Democrats swept all of the local judicial and clerk races without Republican challengers.

• Former Public Defender Dawn Deaner won her race for a criminal court judicial seat.
• Incumbent school board members Rachael Anne Elrod, Berthena Nabaa-McKinney, Cheryl Mayes and Erin O'Hara Block were reelected.
• Former Nashville Councilmember Sharon Hurt was elected as the new County Clerk.

Read the full local results

Fans of "The Gilded Age" on HBO can see its lead characters and their period costumes reproduced with a dazzling array of flowers at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens.

• "Fleurs de Villes THE GILDED AGE" features 12 works created by Nashville floral artists and runs through Sunday. Tickets for reserved time slots are available online.