Tennessee's 9th congressional district
Encyclopedia
The 9th Congressional District of Tennessee is a Congressional
district in southwestern Tennessee
. The district is located entirely within Shelby County
, and includes most of the city of Memphis
. It is the state's only district located entirely in one county, as well as the state's only African-American-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
, because its population growth had not kept pace with that of the nation as a whole. However, Tennessee rebounded 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. Most of the district's current territory had previously been numbered as the 9th from 1953 to 1973.
It is one of the safest seats in the nation for the Democratic Party, and has not been seriously contested by a Republican in its current configuration. Most political observers consider the 9th the most Democratic district in the state. Generally, the 9th is one of two seats in Tennessee that are not seriously contested by Republicans (the other being the 5th district
).
This was not always so, however, particularly in the 1960s and early 1970s, when Memphis experienced the most intense period of the Civil Rights
movement. Before then, traditional Southern conservative Democrats, in later generations associated with mayor E. H. Crump
, held the seat. However, the Democrats' increasing support for civil rights resulted in a massive crossover of conservative white Democrats to the Republicans. In 1962, for instance, the district's longtime incumbent, Clifford Davis
, nearly lost his seat only two years after being unopposed for reelection. In 1964, Davis was defeated by George W. Grider
in the Democratic primary, but he himself won by only five points in November. Finally, in 1966, strongly conservative Republican Dan Kuykendall
defeated Grider and became the first Republican to represent a West Tennessee district since 1883.
The racial strife of the period culminated in a municipal sanitation workers' strike, one that brought Martin Luther King, Jr.
to the city, only to meet his demise by an assassin's
bullet in April 1968. The animosities culminated in a near-violent reaction to a busing
order in early 1973. However, that controversy alone prompted many white families to leave the city in favor of suburban Shelby and Fayette counties and Desoto County, Mississippi
, across the state line. In addition, redistricting after the 1970 census and massive voter registration added a larger number of eligible African-Americans than had previously been in the district. This suddenly depleted much of Kuykendall's base constituency, which consisted of a coalition of middle-to-upper-class supporters of Richard Nixon
, Howard Baker
, and Memphis mayor Henry Loeb
, and working-class admirers of the likes of George Wallace
, Barry Goldwater
, and Mississippi
governors Ross Barnett
and John Bell Williams
.
The next year, many of those whites still left in the city took umbrage at the incumbent's defense of Nixon during the Watergate scandal. Kuykendall was one of the few Republicans who stood by Nixon until the president's resignation from office. In the meantime, exponential numbers of African-Americans began voting and forming political coalitions, led in many cases by prominent figures in the 1968 sanitation strike, to obtain local and state offices as Democrats. These two factors set the stage for the historic victory by Harold Ford, Sr.
in 1974 over the Republican incumbent to become Tennessee's first black U.S. representative
. The 1980s round of redistricting made the district majority-black, solidifying the Democrats' hold on the seat.
Whatever Republican strength is left in the 9th centers in three areas: 1) the affluent neighborhoods near and to the east of Interstate 240
's eastern rim; 2) scattered white-majority precincts in the far southern and southeastern neighborhoods of the city of Memphis, near the Mississippi state line; and 3) the town of Collierville
. However, they are always swamped at the ballot box by the African-American majority of the city's population, along with a growing number of liberal whites in neighborhoods such as Midtown and Cooper-Young. The latter constituency is only one of two of its kind in the entire state, the other being a (much larger) coalition of liberal, well-educated, middle-to-upper-income professionals and employees of higher education and the music industry who live in Nashville
.
The district is currently represented by Democrat Steve Cohen
, who was elected to succeed Harold Ford, Jr.
in November 2006. Cohen is the first white Democrat to represent a significant portion of Memphis since Grider's defeat in 1966. Cohen, however, holds many positions which are significantly to the left of those espoused by the younger Ford.
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. Jake is the younger brother of Harold Ford 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
. 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. 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.
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.
Cohen is the first-ever Jewish congressman from Tennessee, as well as the first white Democrat to represent a significant portion of Memphis since Grider's defeat in 1966.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
district in southwestern Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. The district is located entirely within Shelby County
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
, and includes most of the city of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. It is the state's only district located entirely in one county, as well as the state's only African-American-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
United States Census, 1970
The Nineteenth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 203,392,031, an increase of 13.4 percent over the 179,323,175 persons enumerated during the 1960 Census.-Data availability:...
, because its population growth had not kept pace with that of the nation as a whole. However, Tennessee rebounded to nine districts after the 1980 Census
United States Census, 1980
The Twentieth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 226,545,805, an increase of 11.4 percent over the 203,184,772 persons enumerated during the 1970 Census.-Census questions:...
. 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. Most of the district's current territory had previously been numbered as the 9th from 1953 to 1973.
It is one of the safest seats in the nation for the Democratic Party, and has not been seriously contested by a Republican in its current configuration. Most political observers consider the 9th the most Democratic district in the state. Generally, the 9th is one of two seats in Tennessee that are not seriously contested by Republicans (the other being the 5th district
Tennessee's 5th congressional district
The 5th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Middle Tennessee. The most regularly drawn of the state's nine districts, it currently includes almost all of Davidson County, half of Wilson County, and half of Cheatham County...
).
This was not always so, however, particularly in the 1960s and early 1970s, when Memphis experienced the most intense period of the Civil Rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
movement. Before then, traditional Southern conservative Democrats, in later generations associated with mayor E. H. Crump
E. H. Crump
Edward Hull "Boss" Crump was an American politician from Memphis, Tennessee. He was mayor from 1910 through 1915, and again briefly in 1940; in the intervening years he effectively appointed the mayors.-Career:...
, held the seat. However, the Democrats' increasing support for civil rights resulted in a massive crossover of conservative white Democrats to the Republicans. In 1962, for instance, the district's longtime incumbent, Clifford Davis
Clifford Davis
Clifford Davis was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1940 to 1965.-Early life:Davis was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, moving to Memphis with his parents at age 14. There he completed the high school curriculum of the public schools, and in 1917 he completed law school at the...
, nearly lost his seat only two years after being unopposed for reelection. In 1964, Davis was defeated by George W. Grider
George W. Grider
George William Grider was a United States Naval Officer, an attorney, and a Democratic U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1965 to 1967....
in the Democratic primary, but he himself won by only five points in November. Finally, in 1966, strongly conservative Republican Dan Kuykendall
Dan Kuykendall
Dan Heflin Kuykendall was a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1967 to 1975. He was a member of the Republican Party....
defeated Grider and became the first Republican to represent a West Tennessee district since 1883.
The racial strife of the period culminated in a municipal sanitation workers' strike, one that brought Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
to the city, only to meet his demise by an assassin's
James Earl Ray
James Earl Ray was an American criminal convicted of the assassination of civil rights and anti-war activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr....
bullet in April 1968. The animosities culminated in a near-violent reaction to a busing
Desegregation busing
Desegregation busing in the United States is the practice of assigning and transporting students to schools in such a manner as to redress prior racial segregation of schools, or to overcome the effects of residential segregation on local school demographics.In 1954, the U.S...
order in early 1973. However, that controversy alone prompted many white families to leave the city in favor of suburban Shelby and Fayette counties and Desoto County, Mississippi
DeSoto County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2005 estimate, there were 137,004 people, 38,792 households, and 30,102 families residing in the county. The population density was 224 people per square mile . There were 40,795 housing units at an average density of 85 per square mile...
, across the state line. In addition, redistricting after the 1970 census and massive voter registration added a larger number of eligible African-Americans than had previously been in the district. This suddenly depleted much of Kuykendall's base constituency, which consisted of a coalition of middle-to-upper-class supporters of Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, Howard Baker
Howard Baker
Howard Henry Baker, Jr. is a former Senate Majority Leader, Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee, White House Chief of Staff, and a former United States Ambassador to Japan.Known in Washington, D.C...
, and Memphis mayor Henry Loeb
Henry Loeb
Henry Loeb III was the mayor of Memphis, Tennessee for two separate terms in the 1960s, from 1960 through 1963, and 1968 through 1971. He gained national notoriety in his second term for his role in opposing the demands of striking sanitation workers in February 1968...
, and working-class admirers of the likes of George Wallace
George Wallace
George Corley Wallace, Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, serving four terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter and Stephan Lesher, he ran for U.S...
, Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
, and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
governors Ross Barnett
Ross Barnett
Ross Robert Barnett was the governor of Mississippi from 1960 to 1964. He was a States' Rights Democrat.- Early life :...
and John Bell Williams
John Bell Williams
John Bell Williams was an American Democratic politician who was governor of Mississippi from 1968 to 1972.-Biography:...
.
The next year, many of those whites still left in the city took umbrage at the incumbent's defense of Nixon during the Watergate scandal. Kuykendall was one of the few Republicans who stood by Nixon until the president's resignation from office. In the meantime, exponential numbers of African-Americans began voting and forming political coalitions, led in many cases by prominent figures in the 1968 sanitation strike, to obtain local and state offices as Democrats. These two factors set the stage for the historic victory by Harold Ford, Sr.
Harold Ford, Sr.
Harold Eugene Ford, Sr. was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives representing the Memphis, Tennessee area for ten terms—from 1975 until his retirement in 1997. He was the first African-American to represent Tennessee in the U.S...
in 1974 over the Republican incumbent to become Tennessee's first black U.S. representative
African Americans in the United States Congress
African Americans began serving in greater numbers in the United States Congress during the Reconstruction Era following the American Civil War after slaves were emancipated and granted citizenship rights. Freedmen gained political representation in the Southern United States for the first time...
. The 1980s round of redistricting made the district majority-black, solidifying the Democrats' hold on the seat.
Whatever Republican strength is left in the 9th centers in three areas: 1) the affluent neighborhoods near and to the east of Interstate 240
Interstate 240 (Tennessee)
Interstate 240 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Running or 31.0 km, it loops southward from Interstate 40 in east Memphis, then turning west at TN 385 . At I-55, the highway turns north and runs through midtown to end at I-40...
's eastern rim; 2) scattered white-majority precincts in the far southern and southeastern neighborhoods of the city of Memphis, near the Mississippi state line; and 3) the town of Collierville
Collierville, Tennessee
Collierville is a town in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and a suburb located in the Memphis metropolitan area. The town had a population of 43,965 at the 2010 census....
. However, they are always swamped at the ballot box by the African-American majority of the city's population, along with a growing number of liberal whites in neighborhoods such as Midtown and Cooper-Young. The latter constituency is only one of two of its kind in the entire state, the other being a (much larger) coalition of liberal, well-educated, middle-to-upper-income professionals and employees of higher education and the music industry who live in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
.
The district is currently represented by Democrat Steve Cohen
Steve Cohen
Stephen Ira Cohen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Tennessee's 9th district includes almost three-fourths of Memphis. Cohen is Tennessee's first Jewish congressman....
, who was elected to succeed Harold Ford, Jr.
Harold Ford, Jr.
Harold Eugene Ford, Jr. is an American politician and was the last chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Leadership Council . He was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from , centered in Memphis, from 1997 to 2007...
in November 2006. Cohen is the first white Democrat to represent a significant portion of Memphis since Grider's defeat in 1966. Cohen, however, holds many positions which are significantly to the left of those espoused by the younger Ford.
Representatives
| Name | Took Office | Left Office | Party | District Residence | Notes |
| District created March 4, 1823 | |||||
| Adam R. Alexander Adam Rankin Alexander Adam Rankin Alexander was an American politician that represented Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives. He was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia on November 1, 1781. He became a member of the Tennessee Senate in 1817... |
March 4, 1823 | March 3, 1825 | Jacksonian D-R Democratic-Republican Party (United States) The Democratic-Republican Party or Republican Party was an American political party founded in the early 1790s by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Political scientists use the former name, while historians prefer the latter one; contemporaries generally called the party the "Republicans", along... |
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| March 4, 1825 | March 3, 1827 | Jacksonian | |||
| Davy Crockett Davy Crockett David "Davy" Crockett was a celebrated 19th century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S... |
March 4, 1827 | March 3, 1829 | Jacksonian | ||
| March 4, 1829 | March 3, 1831 | Anti-Jacksonian | |||
| William Fitzgerald William Fitzgerald William Fitzgerald was an American politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives.-Biography:He was born at Port Tobacco Village in Charles County, Maryland on August 6, 1799. He was educated in England and studied law. He was admitted to the bar at Dover, Tennessee in 1821... |
March 4, 1831 | March 3, 1833 | Jacksonian | ||
| James K. Polk James K. Polk James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States . Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He later lived in and represented Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as the 17th Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 12th Governor of Tennessee... |
March 4, 1833 | March 3, 1837 | Jacksonian | Redistricted from the 6th district Tennessee's 6th congressional district The 6th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Middle Tennessee. It currently includes all of Bedford, Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Jackson, Macon, Marshall, Overton, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Sumner, and Trousdale Counties, as well as a portion of Wilson County... , Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1835-1839 |
|
| March 4, 1837 | March 3, 1839 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| Harvey M. Watterson Harvey Magee Watterson Harvey Magee Watterson was an American lawyer, newspaper editor, and politician. He was what his only child Henry later described as an "undoubting Democrat of the schools of Jefferson and Jackson", active in Tennessee politics at both the state and federal level.-Biography:He was born in Bedford... |
March 4, 1839 | March 3, 1843 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
||
| Cave Johnson Cave Johnson Cave Johnson was for fourteen years a Democratic U.S. Congressman from Tennessee. He was also the United States Postmaster General under James K. Polk from 1845–1849... |
March 4, 1843 | March 3, 1845 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Redistricted from the 11th district Tennessee's 11th congressional district United States House of Representatives, Tennessee District 11 was a district of the United States Congress in Tennessee. It was lost to redistricting in 1853. Its last Representative was Christopher H. Williams.-List of representatives:-References:*... |
|
| Lucien B. Chase Lucien Bonaparte Chase Lucien Bonaparte Chase was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 9th congressional district.-Biography:... |
March 4, 1845 | March 3, 1849 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
||
| Isham G. Harris Isham G. Harris Isham Green Harris was an American politician. He served as Governor of Tennessee from 1857 to 1862 and as a U.S. Senator from 1877 until his death.... |
March 4, 1849 | March 3, 1853 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| Emerson Etheridge Emerson Etheridge Henry Emerson Etheridge was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 9th congressional district.-Biography:... |
March 4, 1853 | March 3, 1855 | Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic... |
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| March 4, 1855 | March 3, 1857 | Know Nothing | |||
| John D. C. Atkins John DeWitt Clinton Atkins John DeWitt Clinton Atkins was an American politician and a member of both the United States House of Representatives and Confederate Congress from Tennessee.-Biography:... |
March 4, 1857 | March 3, 1859 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| Emerson Etheridge Emerson Etheridge Henry Emerson Etheridge was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 9th congressional district.-Biography:... |
March 4, 1859 | March 3, 1861 | Opposition Opposition Party (United States) The Opposition Party in the United States is a label with two different applications in Congressional history, as a majority party in Congress 1854-58, and as a Third Party in the South 1858-1860.... |
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| American Civil War American Civil War The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25... |
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| District eliminated March 4, 1863 | |||||
| District re-established March 4, 1873 | |||||
| Barbour Lewis Barbour Lewis Barbour Lewis was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 9th congressional district.... |
March 4, 1873 | March 3, 1875 | Republican | ||
| William P. Caldwell William Parker Caldwell William Parker Caldwell was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 9th congressional district of Tennessee.-Biography:... |
March 4, 1875 | March 3, 1879 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| Charles B. Simonton Charles Bryson Simonton Charles Bryson Simonton was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 9th congressional district of Tennessee.... |
March 4, 1879 | March 3, 1883 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
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| Rice A. Pierce Rice Alexander Pierce Rice Alexander Pierce was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 9th congressional district of Tennessee.-Biography:... |
March 4, 1883 | March 3, 1885 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Union City Union City, Tennessee Union City is a city in Obion County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,876 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Obion County. The name comes from its location at the union of two railroads, one running roughly east-west and the other roughly north-south... |
|
| Presley T. Glass Presley T. Glass Presley Thornton Glass was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 10th congressional district of Tennessee.-Biography:... |
March 4, 1885 | March 3, 1889 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Ripley Ripley, Tennessee Ripley is a city in Lauderdale County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,844 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lauderdale County... |
|
| Rice A. Pierce Rice Alexander Pierce Rice Alexander Pierce was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 9th congressional district of Tennessee.-Biography:... |
March 4, 1889 | March 3, 1893 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Union City Union City, Tennessee Union City is a city in Obion County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,876 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Obion County. The name comes from its location at the union of two railroads, one running roughly east-west and the other roughly north-south... |
|
| James C. McDearmon James C. McDearmon James Calvin McDearmon was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 9th congressional district of Tennessee. He was born on June 13, 1844, in New Canton, Virginia in Buckingham County. He moved with his parents to Gibson County, Tennessee in 1846. He... |
March 4, 1893 | March 3, 1897 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Trenton Trenton, Tennessee Trenton is a city in Gibson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,264 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Gibson County, and its third largest city.-Geography:Trenton is located at .... |
|
| Rice A. Pierce Rice Alexander Pierce Rice Alexander Pierce was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 9th congressional district of Tennessee.-Biography:... |
March 4, 1897 | March 3, 1905 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Union City Union City, Tennessee Union City is a city in Obion County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,876 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Obion County. The name comes from its location at the union of two railroads, one running roughly east-west and the other roughly north-south... |
|
| Finis J. Garrett Finis J. Garrett Finis J. Garrett was born in Weakley County, Tennessee in 1875. He attended Bethel College and graduated in 1897. During that period he worked as an editor for local newspapers. After he went on to law and then the US Congress. In the House he served from 1905 to 1929 and from 1923 to 1929 he was... |
March 4, 1905 | March 3, 1929 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Dresden Dresden, Tennessee Dresden is a town in and the county seat of Weakley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,855 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Dresden is located at .... |
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| Jere Cooper Jere Cooper Jere Cooper was a Democratic United States Representative from Tennessee.-Biography:Cooper was born on a farm near Dyersburg, Dyer County, Tennessee... |
March 4, 1929 | March 3, 1933 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Dyersburg Dyersburg, Tennessee Dyersburg is a city in and the county seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States, north-northeast of Memphis on the Forked Deer River. The population was 17,145 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Dyersburg is located at... |
Redistricted to the 8th district Tennessee's 8th congressional district The 8th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Tennessee. It currently includes roughly the northwestern part of the state.... |
| E.H. Crump | March 4, 1933 | January 3, 1935 | Democratic | Memphis Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... |
Redistricted from the 10th district Tennessee's 10th congressional district United States House of Representatives, Tennessee District 10 was a district of the United States Congress in Tennessee. It was lost to redistricting in 1953. Its last Representative was Clifford Davis.-List of representatives:-References:*... |
| Clift Chandler Walter Chandler Walter "Clift" Chandler was an American politician from Tennessee.Walter Chandler was born in Memphis in 1887 to parents of Scots/English descent. He attended public schools before going on to earn his law degree at the University of Tennessee... |
January 3, 1935 | January 2, 1940 | Democratic | Memphis Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... |
Resigned after being elected Mayor of Memphis |
| Clifford Davis Clifford Davis Clifford Davis was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1940 to 1965.-Early life:Davis was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, moving to Memphis with his parents at age 14. There he completed the high school curriculum of the public schools, and in 1917 he completed law school at the... |
February 14, 1940 | January 3, 1943 | Democratic | Memphis Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... |
Redistricted to the 10th district Tennessee's 10th congressional district United States House of Representatives, Tennessee District 10 was a district of the United States Congress in Tennessee. It was lost to redistricting in 1953. Its last Representative was Clifford Davis.-List of representatives:-References:*... |
| Jere Cooper Jere Cooper Jere Cooper was a Democratic United States Representative from Tennessee.-Biography:Cooper was born on a farm near Dyersburg, Dyer County, Tennessee... |
January 3, 1943 | January 3, 1953 | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Dyersburg Dyersburg, Tennessee Dyersburg is a city in and the county seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States, north-northeast of Memphis on the Forked Deer River. The population was 17,145 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Dyersburg is located at... |
Redistricted from the 8th district Tennessee's 8th congressional district The 8th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Tennessee. It currently includes roughly the northwestern part of the state.... , Redistricted to the 8th district Tennessee's 8th congressional district The 8th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Tennessee. It currently includes roughly the northwestern part of the state.... |
| Clifford Davis Clifford Davis Clifford Davis was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1940 to 1965.-Early life:Davis was born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, moving to Memphis with his parents at age 14. There he completed the high school curriculum of the public schools, and in 1917 he completed law school at the... |
January 3, 1953 | January 3, 1965 | Democratic | Memphis Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... |
Redistricted from the 10th district Tennessee's 10th congressional district United States House of Representatives, Tennessee District 10 was a district of the United States Congress in Tennessee. It was lost to redistricting in 1953. Its last Representative was Clifford Davis.-List of representatives:-References:*... |
| George Grider George W. Grider George William Grider was a United States Naval Officer, an attorney, and a Democratic U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1965 to 1967.... |
January 3, 1965 | January 3, 1967 | Democratic | Memphis Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... |
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| Dan Kuykendall Dan Kuykendall Dan Heflin Kuykendall was a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1967 to 1975. He was a member of the Republican Party.... |
January 3, 1967 | January 3, 1973 | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
Memphis Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... |
Redistricted to the 8th district Tennessee's 8th congressional district The 8th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Tennessee. It currently includes roughly the northwestern part of the state.... |
| District eliminated January 3, 1973 | |||||
| District re-established January 3, 1983 | |||||
| Harold Ford, Sr. Harold Ford, Sr. Harold Eugene Ford, Sr. was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives representing the Memphis, Tennessee area for ten terms—from 1975 until his retirement in 1997. He was the first African-American to represent Tennessee in the U.S... |
January 3, 1983 | January 3, 1997 | Democratic | Memphis Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... |
Redistricted from the 8th district Tennessee's 8th congressional district The 8th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Tennessee. It currently includes roughly the northwestern part of the state.... |
| Harold Ford, Jr. Harold Ford, Jr. Harold Eugene Ford, Jr. is an American politician and was the last chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Leadership Council . He was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from , centered in Memphis, from 1997 to 2007... |
January 3, 1997 | January 3, 2007 | Democratic | Memphis Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... |
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| Steve Cohen Steve Cohen Stephen Ira Cohen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Tennessee's 9th district includes almost three-fourths of Memphis. Cohen is Tennessee's first Jewish congressman.... |
January 3, 2007 | present | Democratic | Memphis Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... |
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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.Harold Ford, Sr.
Harold Eugene Ford, Sr. was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives representing the Memphis, Tennessee area for ten terms—from 1975 until his retirement in 1997. He was the first African-American to represent Tennessee in the U.S...
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
Steve Cohen
Stephen Ira Cohen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Tennessee's 9th district includes almost three-fourths of Memphis. Cohen is Tennessee's first Jewish congressman....
won the Democratic primary.
Cohen faced Republican Mark White
Mark White (Tennessee politician)
Hoyt White, usually known as Mark White is a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. He represents House District 83, which includes Germantown, Bartlett, Cordova and portions of East Memphis/White was formerly second vice-chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party. He...
and independent Jake Ford in the general election in November. Jake is the younger brother of Harold Ford 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
Tennessee Marriage Protection Amendment
Tennessee Amendment 1 of 2006 is a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions. The referendum was approved by 81% of voters. It specifies that only a marriage between a man and a woman can be legally recognized in the state of Tennessee...
. 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. 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.
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.
Cohen is the first-ever Jewish congressman from Tennessee, as well as the first white Democrat to represent a significant portion of Memphis since Grider's defeat in 1966.