Rep. Cohen ending campaign; Tennessee Democrats react

Added: 2026-05-21

[00:00:00]Democratic state representative Stephen Cohen is ending his bid for re-election.

[00:00:05]He's the latest lawmaker to have his career upended by the redistricting battles after Supreme Court decision last month. What earlier this month Republicans enacted a new US House map that carves out Cohen's district reshaping it to the GOP's advantage as part of President Trump's strategy to hold on to the majority in the midterm elections.

[00:00:25]I considered running in one of these three districts but they're not Memphis. One of them is has 12 precincts more 12 counties, excuse me.

[00:00:35]Two of them go around one to the Kentucky border one to the Mississippi border and go all the way up to Republican County south of Nashville Williamson County. There is no commonality of issues and purposes between Williamson County and Orange Mound or the parts of Memphis that are the African-American majority communities.

[00:00:58]No commonality of interest.

[00:01:00]Well, Cohen has represented his Memphis-based district for nearly two decades.

[00:01:05]In reaction is pouring in after Cohen's announcement the Tennessee Democratic Party says in part Congressman Cohen gave everything to the city and to the state. No lines on a map can erase what he built. Thank you Congressman.