Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee ends his reelection campaign and will retire from Congress at the end of his current term, citing changes to his Memphis-area district. Multiple outlets report that Cohen’s decision follows Tennessee’s Republican-led redistricting, which redraws and splits the congressional district he has represented for nearly 20 years. Under the new map, the longtime Memphis-based 9th District is reshaped such that Cohen says it no longer resembles the community he has served.
Cohen asks to be removed from the August primary ballot and publicly frames the redistricting as politically motivated, arguing that it diminishes Black voting power in Memphis. Reporting across outlets notes that Cohen and others file legal challenges to the new lines, and at least one court request to pause the map has been denied. Coverage also indicates that the political landscape has shifted for Democrats in the area, with Cohen facing competition within his party before the change and possible prospects for other Democrats in parts of the redrawn district.
The outlets agree the immediate trigger for Cohen’s withdrawal is the new Tennessee congressional map approved by the state’s GOP lawmakers.
