Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) faced an ugly primary campaign last summer during which his challenger pointed to the fact that he was a white man representing a majority-African-American district and aired an ad which many characterized as anti-Semitic. Cohen won a resounding 79-19 victory, but Politico says Cohen is likely going to face another "racially-tinged primary challenge":
For the third consecutive election cycle, Cohen, the only white member of Congress who represents a majority-black district, is facing the prospect of a Democratic challenger whose bid is likely to be fueled by racial concerns.
When Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, who is African-American, announced last week that he was forming an exploratory committee to run against Cohen, the implication was immediately clear: There is still sentiment that a white Jewish incumbent is not the right fit for a district where African-Americans make up 60 percent of the population.
“I’m convinced he would run a race-focused campaign,” said Howard Richardson, a Memphis labor leader and Cohen supporter. “I don’t see how he could hope to win if he didn’t.”
Herenton backers don’t deny that race plays into the equation. In fact, they say the powerful mayor is taking steps to run because the seat deserves African-American representation.
“That district was set aside so we can have African-American representation in Washington,” said Shelby County Commissioner Sidney Chism, a Herenton friend and political ally, noting that not one of the state’s nine congressional districts is held by an African-American.
“The only district that African-Americans have a chance to win in Tennessee is the 9th Congressional District,” said Chism.
Polling has Cohen looking strong right now, but Hereton is likely to be a tougher challenge that 2008 opponent Nikki Tinker:
A new poll conducted for Memphis NBC affiliate WMC-TV backs up Cohen’s claims. The survey, released Tuesday and conducted in the days immediately following Herenton’s announcement that he was forming an exploratory committee, shows Cohen leading Herenton 65 percent to 35 percent among likely Democratic primary voters.
Among likely African-American voters, Cohen leads Herenton 50 percent to 21 percent. Eighty-five percent of those African-American voters approve of the job Cohen is doing in office, while 42 percent said they approve of Herenton’s performance.
But more than a year ahead of a prospective August 2010 primary, Tennessee insiders agree that Herenton is likely to present a far more serious challenge than Tinker did. Unlike Tinker, a former aide to Harold Ford Jr. who had never been elected to public office, Herenton is regarded as a heavyweight pol with nearly 20 years in the spotlight as mayor.
John Bakke, a Memphis-based Democratic strategist, said a Cohen-Herenton matchup would be “anybody’s race” but said Herenton’s long-standing relationship with the black community gave him a very slight edge.
“You can’t completely ignore the racial issue,” said Bakke.
Still, some doubts have surfaced about Herenton’s intentions. His April 21 announcement left many in the Memphis political community perplexed, with some wondering if the mayor was creating a distraction to divert attention from an ongoing federal grand jury investigation into whether he had profited from his relocation of a Greyhound bus terminal. At the same time, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is questioning local businessmen about funds they gave a Herenton aide to host annual Christmas parties.
But Chism, Herenton’s friend and political ally, dismissed the idea that the mayor was doing anything other than seeking to bring African-American representation to the district after an extensive career in elective office.
“I don’t know why there would be any mystery,” said Chism. “He wants to continue his public service.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
