Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen is forgoing his reelection campaign to represent Memphis, Tennessee, after the state jumped into the fray of middecade redistricting.
His Friday announcement suspending his race comes after his seat was upended by a new U.S. House map that splits his district into three. His new district now favors Republicans, which Mr. Cohen described as “nothing like the 9th District that I’ve represented.”
Last month’s Supreme Court decision significantly weakened federal Voting Rights Act protection for minorities, striking down one of Louisiana’s majority-Black congressional districts and labeling it an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. This prompted red states to quickly take steps to redraw their congressional districts, led by Tennessee and followed by Louisiana, Alabama and South Carolina.
The Volunteer State reshaped the 10-term congressman’s majority-Black district in a move that aims to give Republicans a leg up in the upcoming midterms — a redistricting strategy pushed by President Trump for the GOP to hold onto its slim majority in the House.
Mr. Cohen said Friday that he considered running in one of the three districts, but “they’re not Memphis.”
He is one of the last prominent White Democrats in the historically GOP-dominated congressional delegation after nearly two decades of service.
Before his decision to exit the race, he told reporters in his Washington office, “I don’t want to quit. I’m not a quitter. But these districts were drawn to beat me.”
He did, however, file a lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s new map, leaving an open-ended answer as to whether he would jump back into the ring if his old district is restored.
Following the passage of the new map, the political landscape has been reshuffled, featuring competitive primaries across the political spectrum. In Mr. Cohen’s district, the Democratic primary features state Rep. Justin J. Pearson, state Sen. London Lamar and activist DeVante Hill, while state Sen. Brent Taylor and state Rep. Todd Warner are competing for the Republican nomination.
Friday is the deadline for candidates to file to run in the new districts.
On Thursday, a federal judge denied a request by Democratic congressional candidates to temporarily block Tennessee’s newly redrawn congressional map, allowing for the impending ballot deadlines and Aug. 6 primary.
