Tennessee’s Last Democrat in Congress, Rep. Steve Cohen, Ends His Re-Election Bid After Republicans Redraw the Map

Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee, the last Democrat in the state’s entire congressional delegation, announced Friday that he is ending his 2026 re-election bid.

Cohen, 76, has held Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District since 2007. His decision came after Tennessee’s Republican-controlled legislature redrew the congressional map, transforming his compact Memphis-based district into a sprawling seat that stretches hundreds of miles east toward the Nashville suburbs.

The bottom line: the map changed, the math changed, and Cohen is heading for the exit.

Tennessee’s last remaining Democrat in Congress is heading for the exit. Rep. Steve Cohen announced Friday he’s ending his reelection bid after redistricting reshaped his Memphis-area district to favor Republicans. https://t.co/Q61YGZGSDb

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 15, 2026

CBS News reported on the announcement:

Rep. Steve Cohen announced Friday, May 15, that he was dropping his reelection bid in Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, the seat he has represented since 2007. Cohen, 76, was Tennessee’s