Tennessee's 9th congressional district

Tennessee's 9th congressional district is a congressional district in West Tennessee, covering most of Memphis and its inner suburbs. It has been represented by Democrat Steve Cohen since 2007.

The district was re-created as a result of the redistricting cycle after the 1980 census. The district is almost exclusively urban, due to its mostly cohabitant nature with Memphis. The district, as shaped for the 119th Congress, has the lowest median income of the state's districts, at $53,598. It also ranks first in the state with the poverty rate at 22.7 percent, per a 2026 congressional study.Dalaker, Joseph; Leubsdorf, Ben; 'Income and Poverty by State and Congressional District' May 12, 2026, Table 4. Poverty Rate by Congressional District in 2024 https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48943

As of 2026, it is the only majority minority congressional district in Tennessee and the only surviving "Democratic stronghold" district [Nashville had been one until it was 'cracked' in 2022's redistricting]. Since 1875, the area has sent mostly Democrats to Congress with the exception of a brief period from 1967 to 1975 when it was represented by Republican Dan Kuykendall.

However, with the 'voluntary redistricting' that the state government rushed through in May 2026, Memphis was 'cracked' in thirds, turning this district from D+22 to R+9 in the Cook Partisan Voting Index rating for the 2026 elections, no longer almost exclusively urban nor representing Memphis as a cohesive whole.

Current boundaries For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST47/CD118_TN09.pdf

Shelby County (4)

Bartlett (part; also 8th), Collierville (part; also 8th), Memphis (part; also 8th), Millington

Tipton County (8)

Atoka (part; also 8th), Brighton (part; also 8th), Burlison, Covington (part; also 8th), Garland, Gilt Edge, Munford, Randolph

Recent election results from statewide races Year Office Results2008 PresidentObama 73% - 26%2012 PresidentObama 74% - 26%2016 PresidentClinton 72% - 25%2018 SenateBredesen 75% - 23% GovernorDean 70% - 26%2020 PresidentBiden 73% - 25% SenateBradshaw 71% - 26%2022 GovernorMartin 65% - 33%2024 PresidentHarris 70% - 28% SenateJohnson 68% - 29%

History Arguably, the district's current characteristics began to take shape in 1925 — the first year a congressional district consisted exclusively of Shelby County.

A congressional district was perfectly coextensive with Shelby County from 1925 until 1966, numbered as the 10th from 1925 to 1933 and from 1943 to 1953, then the 9th from 1933 to 1943 and the 9th from 1953 to 1966.

In 1966, the Supreme Court case Baker v. Carr took effect. In that ruling, the court laid out a "one man, one vote" standard. Prior to 1966, the 9th was nearly ten times larger in population than the nearby 7th and 8th.

1967 was the first year where the district covered merely a fraction of Shelby County rather than the county's entirety. In that election, the district chose former US Senate Republican nominee Dan Kuykendall. The district was renumbered the 8th in 1973 and was pushed further into Memphis. In 1974, in the midst of Watergate, Kuykendall supported Nixon throughout the scandal, and was subsequently defeated by Democrat Harold Ford Sr., whose family had strong political ties in Memphis dating back to at least the 1920s.

The district has voted Democratic in every congressional race since 1974. After the 1980 census saw it become the 9th once again and was drawn as a black-majority district. This allowed the Democrats to consolidate their hold on the seat. With most of Memphis' wealthier and now heavily Republican eastern portion now in the 7th, the GOP largely lost interest in the 9th; only nominal Republican candidates have run there from 1982 onward.

Ford served in Congress for 22 years, when he was replaced by his son — Harold Ford Jr. — in 1997. The younger Ford served for ten years, until he mounted an unsuccessful bid for US Senate. Concurrent to Ford's senate bid, the district chose state senator Steve Cohen over Ford's brother Jake, with the Republicans pushed into third place. Cohen is noted for being Tennessee's first Jewish congressman, and was the first white Democrat to represent a significant portion of Memphis in 40 years. He has been elected seven times, and since 2022 has been the only Democrat in the state's delegation.

List of members representing the district Name Party Years Congress Electoral history District established March 4, 1823 Adam R. Alexander Democratic-Republican March 4, 1823 –March 3, 1825 Elected in 1823.Re-elected in 1825.Lost re-election. Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –March 3, 1827 Davy Crockett Jacksonian March 4, 1827 –March 3, 1829 Elected in 1827.Re-elected in 1829.Lost re-election. Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1829 –March 3, 1831 William Fitzgerald Jacksonian March 4, 1831 –March 3, 1833 Elected in 1831.Redistricted to the and lost re-election. James K. Polk Jacksonian March 4, 1833 –March 3, 1837 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1833.Re-elected in 1835.Re-elected in 1837.Retired to run for Governor of Tennessee. Democratic March 4, 1837 –March 3, 1839 Harvey M. Watterson Democratic March 4, 1839 –March 3, 1843 Elected in 1839.Re-elected in 1841.Retired. Cave Johnson Democratic March 4, 1843 –March 3, 1845 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1843.Retired. Lucien B. Chase Democratic March 4, 1845 –March 3, 1849 Elected in 1845.Re-elected in 1847.Retired. Isham G. Harris Democratic March 4, 1849 –March 3, 1853 Elected in 1849.Re-elected in 1851.Retired. Emerson Etheridge Whig March 4, 1853 –March 3, 1855 Elected in 1853.Re-elected in 1855.Lost re-election. Know Nothing March 4, 1855 –March 3, 1857 John D. C. Atkins Democratic March 4, 1857 –March 3, 1859 Elected in 1857.Lost re-election. Emerson Etheridge Opposition March 4, 1859 –March 3, 1861 Elected in 1859.Retired after West Tennessee seceded. District inactive March 4, 1861 –March 3, 1863 Civil War District dissolved March 4, 1863 District re-established March 4, 1873 Barbour Lewis Republican March 4, 1873 –March 3, 1875 Elected in 1872.Redistricted to the and lost re-election. William P. Caldwell Democratic March 4, 1875 –March 3, 1879 Elected in 1874.Re-elected in 1876.Retired. Charles B. Simonton Democratic March 4, 1879 –March 3, 1883 Elected in 1878.Re-elected in 1880.Retired. Rice A. Pierce Democratic March 4, 1883 –March 3, 1885 Elected in 1882.Lost renomination. Presley T. Glass Democratic March 4, 1885 –March 3, 1889 Elected in 1884.Re-elected in 1886.Lost renomination. Rice A. Pierce Democratic March 4, 1889 –March 3, 1893 Elected in 1888.Re-elected in 1890.Lost re-election as an Independent Democrat.James C. McDearmon Democratic March 4, 1893 –March 3, 1897 Elected in 1892.Re-elected in 1894.Lost renomination. Rice A. Pierce Democratic March 4, 1897 –March 3, 1905 Elected in 1896.Re-elected in 1898.Re-elected in 1900.Re-elected in 1902.Lost renomination. Finis J. Garrett Democratic March 4, 1905 –March 3, 1929 Elected in 1904.Re-elected in 1906.Re-elected in 1908.Re-elected in 1910.Re-elected in 1912.Re-elected in 1914.Re-elected in 1916.Re-elected in 1918.Re-elected in 1920.Re-elected in 1922.Re-elected in 1924.Re-elected in 1926.Retired to run for U.S. senator. Jere Cooper Democratic March 4, 1929 –March 3, 1933 Elected in 1928.Re-elected in 1930.Redistricted to the . E.H. Crump Democratic March 4, 1933 –January 3, 1935 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1932.Retired. Clift Chandler Democratic January 3, 1935 –January 2, 1940 Elected in 1934.Re-elected in 1936.Re-elected in 1938.Resigned when elected Mayor of Memphis. Vacant January 2, 1940 –February 15, 1940 Clifford Davis Democratic February 15, 1940 –January 3, 1943 Elected to finish Chandler's term.Re-elected in 1940.Redistricted to the . Jere Cooper Democratic January 3, 1943 –January 3, 1953 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1942.Re-elected in 1944.Re-elected in 1946.Re-elected in 1948.Re-elected in 1950.Redistricted to the . Clifford Davis Democratic January 3, 1953 –January 3, 1965 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1952.Re-elected in 1954.Re-elected in 1956.Re-elected in 1958.Re-elected in 1960.Re-elected in 1962.Lost renomination. George Grider Democratic January 3, 1965 –January 3, 1967 Elected in 1964.Lost re-election. Dan Kuykendall Republican January 3, 1967 –January 3, 1973 Elected in 1966.Re-elected in 1968.Re-elected in 1970.Redistricted to the . District dissolved January 3, 1973 District re-established January 3, 1983 Harold Ford Sr. Democratic January 3, 1983 –January 3, 1997 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1982.Re-elected in 1984.Re-elected in 1986.Re-elected in 1988.Re-elected in 1990.Re-elected in 1992.Re-elected in 1994.Retired. Harold Ford Jr. Democratic January 3, 1997 –January 3, 2007 Elected in 1996.Re-elected in 1998.Re-elected in 2000.Re-elected in 2002.Re-elected in 2004.Retired to run for U.S. senator. 2003–2013 Steve Cohen Democratic January 3, 2007 –present Elected in 2006.Re-elected in 2008.Re-elected in 2010.Re-elected in 2012.Re-elected in 2014.Re-elected in 2016.Re-elected in 2018.Re-elected in 2020.Re-elected in 2022.Re-elected in 2024. Retiring at end of term due to redistricting. 2013–2023 2023–2027

Recent election results 2012

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2016

2018

2020

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2024

Tennessee's 9th congressional district

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