Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen becomes emotional on air after redistricting undermines his chances for reelection

Rep. Steve Cohen Reflects on Reelection Withdrawal

WASHINGTON — Tennessee state Rep. Steve Cohen became emotional while discussing his decision to step away from his reelection campaign after redistricting significantly altered his voter base, leaving him with little chance of success.

Cohen, a Democrat and the sole representative for his party in Tennessee’s congressional delegation, criticized the recent changes to the 9th District, which he described as detrimental to democracy.

“I’m really frustrated about this,” he shared during an interview with NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo on Friday. “I don’t shy away from criticism for standing up and fighting.”

“Why continue to fight when the redistricting has left you without enough votes to win? That just doesn’t make sense,” he added.

Since 2007, Cohen has represented the Memphis-focused district and pointed out that the ongoing struggle over redistricting, which began around mid-2010, is still a major issue today.

He accused outgoing Governor Bill Lee of capitulating to pressures from President Trump and Republican leaders in Washington, leading to a loss of a Democratic House seat.

The new congressional map signed by Lee on May 7 transformed the 9th District into three predominantly Republican districts.

During the interview, Cohen expressed his sadness regarding the situation, mentioning it had been difficult for him. “It’s funny, I think my press conference today drew more cameras than the incident with Victoria, and here I am, tearing up again,” he recalled, referring to a well-known paternity controversy from 2013.

Cohen noted the significance of being a white man representing a majority-black district, particularly after the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which incentivized Republican efforts to reshape the district.

“I have a wonderful district and fantastic constituents who have been supportive for two decades,” he acknowledged. “It’s striking that the African American community has shown me such loyalty.”

“The Republicans seem to overlook this, just tearing everything apart without the perspective to understand the importance of community and unity. It’s a tough game, and they play hard,” he concluded.