Tennessee's 9th congressional district
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The 9th Congressional District of Tennessee is a Congressional district in southwest Tennessee. The district is located entirely within Shelby County, and includes most of Memphis. It is the state's only district located entirely in one county, as well as the state's only black-majority district.
Tennessee had at least nine congressional districts from 1825 to 1973, when the state was cut down to eight districts as a result of the 1970 United States Census. However, Tennessee went back up to nine districts after the 1980 Census. At this time, most of the old 8th District was redrawn as a black-majority district, and combined with small portions of the former 6th and 7th districts to form the new 9th District. The district's configuration has remained more or less the same ever since.
It is a very safe seat for the Democratic Party, and has not been seriously contested by a Republican in its current configuration. It is usually considered the most Democratic district in the state, or a close second behind the Nashville-based 5th District. Generally, the 9th is one of three seats in Tennessee that are not seriously contested by Republicans (the others being the 5th and 8th Districts).
The district is currently represented by Democrat Steve Cohen, who was elected to succeed Harold Ford, Jr. in November 2006.
[edit] Representatives
* Chandler was elected mayor of Memphis in 1940; Davis succeeded him in a special election.
[edit] 2006 election
When Harold Ford, Jr. decided to give up the 9th district seat in favor of running for the Senate, he triggered a free-for-all for his congressional seat. This was in marked contrast to the retirement of his father, 11-term incumbent Harold Ford, Sr. in 1996, when the primary race—and for all practical purposes, the election—ended as soon as Harold, Jr. announced his candidacy.
By the time filing closed on April 6, 21 candidates—15 Democrats and six Republicans—had entered the primary contest. Interest was particularly high among Democrats, given the district's heavy Democratic tilt. On August 3, 2006, State Senator Steve Cohen won the Democratic primary.
Cohen faced Republican Mark White and independent Jake Ford in the general election in November.[1] He is the younger brother of Harold, Jr., and announced he would serve as a Democrat if elected. While Cohen was heavily favored in November, Jake Ford was considered a wild card in the race given his family's long prominence in the area.
On October 8, 2006, Cohen, Ford, and White participated in a televised debate in Memphis. Among other topics, issues discussed included Iraq, medical marijuana, education, and the Tennessee Marriage Protection Amendment.[2] Ford attacked Cohen's record in the State Senate, including his opposition to the Marriage Protection Amendment, support for medical marijuana, and his voting attendance record.[3] Cohen responded by standing by his public record, pointing out Ford's lack of experience in public office, and indicating that Ford had been to jail and had dropped out of high school.[4]
Cohen defeated Ford and White by a significant margin, receiving 60 percent of the vote to Ford's 22 percent and White's 18 percent.[5]
Cohen is the first Jewish congressman from Tennessee, as well as the first white Democrat to represent a significant portion of Memphis since Grider's defeat in 1966.
| Tennessee's congressional districts |
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| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 The 10th - 13th districts are obsolete See also: Tennessee's past & present Representatives, Senators, and Delegations All U.S. districts - Apportionment - Redistricting - Gerrymandering - Maps |
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