Rep. Steve Cohen ending campaign in Tennessee after redraw of his Memphis district
He said the GOP-drawn map split his Memphis district three ways and would only reverse course if courts restore the old boundaries.
- On Friday, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen announced he is ending his re-election bid after nearly 20 years in Congress, citing recent gerrymandering of his Memphis-based district by Tennessee Republicans.
- Cohen called the redistricting pressure a "gangster move" meant to prevent his re-election. The GOP-dominated state legislature carved up his majority-Black district to gain advantage in West Tennessee.
- "This is by far the most difficult moment I've had as an elected official," Cohen said, announcing his retirement from public life. A judge denied his temporary restraining order on May 14.
- Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder announced his campaign for the district on May 14, having raised $2 million and securing Cohen's endorsement as Tennessee's sole Democrat in Congress.
- Despite dropping from the race, Cohen warned the redistricting could "backfire" on Republicans. His Memphis residency now falls in the 5th Congressional District, held by Republican Rep. Andy Ogles.
64 Articles
64 Articles
Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen to retire in aftermath of redistricting
Rep. Steve Cohen pauses while speaking during a news conference in his office on Capitol Hill, May 15, 2026 in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) (WASHINGTON) — Rep. Steve Cohen, a longtime Tennessee Democrat, announced Friday he will not seek reelection and instead retire at the end of his term, after his Memphis district was carved up in the state assembly’s redistricting effort. “This is by far the most difficult moment I’ve had as an e…
Democrat Ends Campaign After Tenn. Redistricting
Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee on Friday announced that he is ending his bid for reelection, his career upended by the redistricting battles that are sweeping the country after last month's Supreme Court decision. Earlier this month, Republicans in Tennessee enacted a new US House map that carves up...
Republicans claim first redistricting scalp as longtime Tennessee Democrat ends re-election bid
Republicans can claim their first major scalp in the fight to redraw congressional maps now that a longtime Tennessee Democrat has announced he will no longer run for re-election in November.On Friday, Rep. Steve Cohen declared that he would not run to represent "any of the three gerrymandered congressional districts carved out of the 9th District" of Tennessee, which he has represented since January 2007.'It has been the honor of my life servin…
Democrat U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen to Retire from Congress Amid Tennessee Redistricting
U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) said he has requested his name be taken off the ballot for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District amid the state’s implementation of a new congressional map. In a press conference Friday, Cohen, from his D.C. office, called his decision to retire from Congress “by far the most difficult moment" he has had as an "elected official.”
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