Rep. Steve Cohen announced Friday he will not seek re-election this fall, surrendering his Memphis seat after Tennessee Republicans split his district into three separate congressional maps. The move marks another casualty in a wave of post-election redistricting that has reshaped Southern politics along racial lines.
Cohen, a Democrat who has held the 9th District for more than 19 years, said the new map explicitly targeted his majority-Black constituency. "Last week Tennessee Republicans silenced the Black vote here in Memphis to make Republican victories likely," he stated, characterizing the Legislature and Gov. Bill Lee's action as deliberate partisan and racial gerrymandering.
The timing reflects a broader Southern strategy. Tennessee's redistricting came weeks after the Supreme Court's decision in Callais v. Louisiana, which significantly weakened the Voting Rights Act and restricted how race can factor into district-drawing. Emboldened by that ruling, GOP-controlled legislatures across the region have moved aggressively to eliminate majority-Black Democratic seats and replace them with GOP-leaning districts. Democrats estimate the push could remove roughly one-third of Congressional Black Caucus members from office.
Cohen left himself an exit ramp. He said he would reconsider his decision to suspend his campaign if courts strike down Tennessee's map. "We are still fighting, and if we prevail in the courts and the 9th District remains intact, I will remain a candidate and be proud to represent you for another two years," he wrote.
His departure marks the 59th House retirement this cycle, the second-highest total since 1930, according to NBC News analysis. The wave reflects both the hazards of redistricting for incumbents and broader turbulence in the chamber.
State Rep. Justin Pearson, who had entered a primary challenge against Cohen before redistricting, has not withdrawn from the race. Pearson gained national prominence as a member of the "Tennessee Three," a group of Democratic state lawmakers who staged a gun violence protest on the House floor in 2023 and faced expulsion. He was later reinstated.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Cohen's exit shows how redistricting has become the cleaner way to eliminate political opponents, especially when the Supreme Court removes judicial guardrails."
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