Democratic Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen announced Friday he would not seek reelection after his state eliminated the only Democratic-majority district in its new congressional map.
Tennessee lawmakers passed a newly drawn map that split Memphis along new lines and eliminated Democrats’ advantage in the 9th district, which Cohen represents. Cohen said during a news conference that the newly drawn 9th district looks “nothing” like the one he represented, leading to his decision to not run again.
“This district that they have on the new lines is nothing like the 9th district that I’ve represented. I’ve had the great honor of representing the 9th district for the past 19-and-a-half years, and it’s been a district that’s been a majority African American district,” Cohen said.
BREAKING: Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) will NOT seek re-election
“This is by far the most difficult moment Ive had as an elected official”
The Tennessee legislature redistricted his Memphis area majority-minority earlier this year@GrayDCnews @WMCActionNews5 pic.twitter.com/W5O0x7ujtt
— Leah V. (@LeahVredenbregt) May 15, 2026
Should redistricting efforts be reviewed for fairness in representation?
The map divides Shelby County and places 31% of black voters in one of three districts. Republican state Reps. John Gillespie and Mark White voted “no” with the Democrats, according to News Channel 3, a local outlet based in Tennessee. Three other Republicans, Reps. Michele Reneau, Ron Travis and Greg Vital, voted “present.”
Cohen was first elected to the House of Representatives in November 2006, and was sworn in on Jan. 3, 2007.
Several states redrew their maps and are continuing their gerrymandering efforts ahead of the 2026 midterms. Florida passed a map on May 4 which handed Republican four additional seats, while Republicans in Texas could gain up to five seats due to the state’s redistricting efforts.
Missouri and North Carolina also enacted new congressional maps that were expected to give Republicans an advantage. The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for Alabama to use its 2023 congressional map that included only one majority black district.
The Virginia Supreme Court struck down the state Democrats’ gerrymandering referendum in a May 8 decision that intended to give Democrats four additional seats. In response to the decision, Democrats floated the idea of lowering the retirement age for Virginia Supreme Court justices, which would force all of the justices off of the bench.
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