Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen announced he has signed a request not to be included on the ballot in Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District after new district lines made the seat unrecognizable to him.
Rep. Steve Cohen says the Tennessee 9th Congressional District is no longer the one he has represented for more than 19 years, and on Friday he took a decisive step: he signed a document requesting not to be included on the ballot.
Cohen’s announcement came as political maps continue to reshape the race. He pointed to “new lines” that, in his view, have transformed the district beyond recognition, calling it “nothing like the 9th district that I’ve represented.”
With the Democratic primary set for August, the question now shifts to who will seek the nomination under the district’s altered boundaries.
Cohen framed his decision in stark terms about the stakes of the moment. Speaking after his announcement, he described President Donald Trump as “the greatest threat to democracy, and to … decorum … and grace, that we’ve ever seen.”
Cohen entered Congress in early 2007 and is ending his re-election bid after more than 19 years. In the meantime, Tennessee’s election rules provide a path for candidates to adjust to the redrawn district.
A statement from the process set out by the Tennessee secretary of state says that candidates who previously qualified for 2026 congressional elections may run in the new district that retains the same district number.. It also says candidates who want to change districts or withdraw can do so by filing a notarized statement with the State Division of Elections. attention Coordinator of Elections.
The announcement lands as the Democratic primary approaches, with Cohen stepping away and the field potentially reshaped by the very map changes he criticized. The White House was contacted for comment.
Steve Cohen Tennessee 9th district re-election bid Democratic primary redistricting ballot request August primary