WASHINGTON — Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen broke down in tears while reflecting on his decision to drop his reelection bid after redistricting all but ensured he had no path to victory.
Cohen (D-Tenn.), the sole Democrat in Tennessee’s congressional delegation, lamented the Republicans’ revamping of the Volunteer State’s 9th district, which is majority minority, and railed against redistricting as “bad for democracy.”
“I’m upset by this,” the now-outgoing Democrat bemoaned to NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo on Friday. “And I don’t get the criticism of stand and fight.”
“Why would you fight when they changed the district and there aren’t enough votes for you to win? That’s silly.”
Cohen, who has repped the Memphis-centered district since 2007, underscored that the mid-decade redistricting race that has gripped the country this year is “almost never done.”
He accused retiring Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) of caving to pressure from President Trump and Republicans in DC to squeeze out another House seat for them.
Lee had signed the new map into effect on May 7, which sliced up the 9th District into three new Republican-leaning districts.
While discussing the ordeal, Cohen began to well up, something he acknowledged to Cuomo.
“It’s funny, my press conference today is the most cameras I think I’ve had since the Victoria incident. And here we are again. And I got tears,” the Tennessee Democrat reflected.
That’s a reference to the wild controversy in 2013 when it was revealed that a woman named Victoria Brink, whom he claimed was his biological daughter, was shown in a paternity test not to be his.
Cohen also reflected on the fact that he is a white man representing a black majority district. Republicans moved to carve it up in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s gutting of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
“I’ve got a great district, wonderful people. They’ve supported me so well,” the congressman said. “You know, it’s an amazing thing that the African-American community supported me for 20 years as they did.”
“And the Republicans don’t see it, and they just tear it apart because they have no perspective of caring about African-Americans or caring about people getting together and anything nice that happens. It’s a tough sport, and they play it tough.”
Tennessee’s primaries are slated for Aug. 6.
