Democratic Representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee announced on Friday that he is ending his reelection campaign, a decision driven by the redistricting battles sweeping the country following last month's Supreme Court ruling. Republicans in Tennessee enacted a new U.S. House map that divides Cohen's majority-Black district, reshaping it to favor the GOP as part of President Donald Trump's strategy to maintain a slim majority in the November midterm elections.
Cohen's Statement on Redistricting
"I don't want to quit. I'm not a quitter. But these districts were drawn to beat me," Cohen told reporters in his Washington, D.C. office. He is challenging the state's redistricting effort in court and said he would reenter the race if the lawsuit succeeds in restoring his old congressional district. Cohen lamented that Tennessee would likely shift to an entirely Republican congressional delegation after the next election, warning that it could leave the state out of the loop once Democrats regain the White House.
Supreme Court Ruling Impact
Tennessee was the first state to pass new congressional districts after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minorities. Other Southern states, including Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina, have taken steps toward redistricting. Cohen has represented his Memphis-based district for about two decades, making him among the last white Democrats representing the South in Congress. He has been a longtime member of the House Judiciary Committee and has focused on strengthening voting access and civil rights.
"It's unique in America that an African-American majority district has elected a white guy, and that we've got a great relationship, great amount of support," said Cohen, who is also the first Jewish person to represent Tennessee in Congress. He was facing a primary challenge from state lawmaker Justin Pearson, a Black Democrat who represents Memphis in the state's General Assembly. Pearson has said he will continue his campaign in the newly redrawn 9th Congressional District.
Challenges for Democrats
Cohen predicted that it would be nearly impossible for Tennessee Democrats to win a congressional seat with the new districts. He added that the redistricting could "backfire on the Republicans" but that would require an "unbelievable registration effort among Democrats" and a massive voter turnout effort. Sitting in his congressional office with staff looking on, Cohen pointed to photos of Memphis and local projects he championed, expressing worry that Memphis voters would no longer have a voice in Washington. He recounted working with state Republican leaders to secure funding during the Biden administration for a larger bridge across the Mississippi River into Memphis.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised Cohen as "a powerful champion for civil rights," stating that "the City of Memphis, the Congress and the nation are better because of Steve's commitment to making a difference." Cohen said the Republican redistricting effort was done "for Donald Trump to get one more vote, he thinks, to stop them from being impeached."
Opposition to Trump
Cohen vowed to use his remaining time in Congress to oppose Trump, calling the president "the greatest threat to democracy and to decorum and grace that we've ever seen." Known for colorful outbursts, Cohen once brought a bucket of fried chicken to a House Judiciary Committee hearing in 2019 when then-Attorney General William P. Barr was absent. During the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, Cohen screamed at Republican colleagues to "Call Trump. Call your friend. Tell him to do something." He was among the first Democrats to join impeachment efforts against Trump in his first term and has signed on to articles of impeachment this year.
Memphis Activists Respond
Memphis activists grappled with the new political realities after the Republican-led legislature divided the city's longtime congressional district into three neighboring districts. Advocates said they believed they could work with and pressure any lawmaker representing the city. "Things are going to change. We're aware of that," said Tierney Macon, an activist with The Equity Alliance, a local civil rights group. Macon, who protested at the Tennessee statehouse for days after the redrawn maps were unveiled, said activists aimed to hold the city's new representatives accountable regardless of party. "We just have to be engaged," Macon said. Demonstrations at the statehouse included chants accusing lawmakers of resurrecting Jim Crow, the system of state and local laws that enforced racial segregation and disenfranchisement across the South for decades.
Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Lisa Mascaro, and Matt Brown in Washington contributed to this report.
