For nearly two decades, Representative Steve Cohen sat comfortably in his deep-blue Memphis district, using it as a launchpad for some of the most vicious attacks on President Trump that any House Democrat could muster. That comfortable ride has ended.
At 76, Cohen announced on May 15 he is ending his bid for reelection. The reason is straightforward: Tennessee Republicans redrew the congressional map, and Cohen’s safe haven no longer exists.
Tennessee had been one of the country’s most Republican-leaning states with a single Democratic holdout—the Memphis-based 9th District. Following the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision—which altered legal assumptions around Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and race-based congressional districts—Tennessee Republicans passed new district lines targeting Cohen’s seat. The ruling opened the door for Republican-led states to revisit maps that had long protected Democratic seats, and Tennessee moved swiftly to place its last Democratic congressional seat on Republican-friendly ground.
Once that happened, Cohen no longer had the political cushion that made his general elections easy. He sued and complained but ultimately withdrew from the race, stating he would only consider running again if litigation restored the old district boundaries. Without such a resolution, he is out.
The impact is severe for Democrats. Tennessee’s House delegation was historically 8-1 Republican with Cohen as the sole Democrat. Under the new map, every Tennessee congressional district is rated solidly Republican—a potential 9-0 Republican delegation after the 2026 midterms. The replacement 9th District is particularly unfavorable for Democrats, projected to vote for President Trump by 21 points in 2024. For Cohen, who spent years on Capitol Hill criticizing President Trump and pushing impeachment efforts without ever facing a tough general election battle, the loss of his safe seat marks the end of an era.
State Representative Justin Pearson had previously challenged Cohen in the Democratic primary, but with the map changes reshaping the political landscape, the contest barely matters. Tennessee is poised to become a wall-to-wall red state in Congress, and one of President Trump’s most vocal critics in the House has lost his platform.