Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen drops reelection bid after redistricting

Politics Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen drops reelection bid after redistricting in Tennessee By Kathryn Watson Kathryn Watson Politics Reporter Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Kathryn Watson May 15, 2026 / 11:29 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee announced Friday that he's dropping his bid for reelection in Tennessee's 9th congressional district, a seat he's held since 2007. He made the decision in light of the Tennessee legislature's redistricting affected his district in the Memphis area. Cohen, 76, is Tennessee's only Democrat in Congress. He said he'll be retiring from public life."This is by far the most difficult moment I've had as an elected official," Cohen said as he opened his remarks.He said he "considered" running in one of the new districts, but said they are "nothing like the 9th district that I've represented."This is a developing story and will be updated. Congressional Redistricting More South Carolina governor calls special session on redistricting