A360
Key Takeaways✦ Atlas AI
01
Cohen ends 2024 reelection bid.
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Redistricting altered his Memphis district.
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He was Tennessee's only Democrat.
Atlas AI
Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat who has represented Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District since 2007, said Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, that he will not seek reelection after the state’s recent redistricting reshaped the Memphis-based seat.
Cohen, 76, said the changes to the district he has represented for nearly two decades drove his decision to step aside ahead of the next election cycle.
The new map was approved by the Republican-controlled Tennessee legislature and alters the boundaries of the 9th District, which has been centered on Memphis.
Tennessee map splits Memphis across multiple districts
Under the redistricting plan, Memphis’ predominantly African-American population was divided among multiple congressional districts that are more Republican-leaning. The change drew protests, according to the source material.
Cohen had been the only Democrat in Tennessee’s congressional delegation. He said the districts created by the new map are “nothing like the ninth district” he had represented, according to the source.
Committee roles and Democratic leaders’ response
During his time in Congress, Cohen served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the House Judiciary Committee, and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. His legislative focus included civil rights and policing reform.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised Cohen’s tenure, citing his work on voting rights and racial justice. Jeffries also highlighted Cohen’s role in passing a resolution that issued what he described as the first formal U.S. apology for slavery.
Cohen said he will be retiring from public life. Attention now shifts to how the reshaped districts will influence the 2024 congressional races in Tennessee.
