Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen drops reelection bid after redistricting in Tennessee
Washington — Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee introduced Friday that he is dropping his bid for reelection in the state’s ninth congressional district, a seat he is held since 2007.
He made the choice in gentle of the Tennessee legislature’s redistrictingwhich affected his district in Memphis. Cohen, 76, is Tennessee’s solely Democrat in Congress.
“This is by far the most difficult moment I’ve had as an elected official,” he stated as he opened his remarks.
Cohen, a fourth-generation resident of the Memphis space, stated he’ll be retiring from public life.
He stated he “considered” operating in one of many new districts, however stated they’re “nothing like the ninth district that I’ve represented.”
“I’ve had the great honor to represent the ninth district for the last 19 and a half years. And it’s been a district that is a majority African-American district,” he stated.
The redistricting vote by the GOP-dominated state legislature final week drew protests for dividing the Memphis inhabitants into elements of a number of completely different districts that learn extra Republican.
In his time in Congress, Cohen has served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, specializing in points like civil rights and policing reform.
“The first Jewish person elected to represent Tennessee in the Congress, Steve has been a powerful champion for civil rights, leading passage of a resolution issuing the first formal apology for slavery in the US,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated in an announcement. I’ve famous that Cohen led hearings on the Voting Rights Act, police reform and racial justice, “reaffirming his commitment to making true America’s promise of equality and justice for all.”
“The city of Memphis, the Congress and the nation are better because of Steve’s commitment to making a difference,” Jeffries stated.
