Cohen Wins

Called That One Wrong

I underestimated the good citizens of Memphis.

U.S. House - District 9 - Dem Primary
212 of 212 Precincts Reporting - 100%
Name Party Votes Vote %
Cohen, Steve (i) Dem 50,284 79%
Tinker, Nikki Dem 11,814 19%

Tinker's race and religion bashing are overwhelmingly rejected. The personal condemnation by Obama didn't hurt...

"These incendiary and personal attacks have no place in our politics, and will do nothing to help the good people of Tennessee. It's time to turn the page on a politics driven by negativity and division so that we can come together to lift up our communities and our country," Obama said in a statement released by his campaign headquarters in Chicago.

... but even that doesn't explain 80-20. Congratulations to Congressman Cohen -- and even moreso to his constituents.

Elsewhere in Tennessee, it looks like another congressman got knocked off; Freshman Republican David Davis was 500 votes behind Phil Roe, mayor of Johnson City. Here's a CQ roundup. A very different outcome, but similar scenario to Cohen-Tinker: Roe finished second in a 13-way open seat primary two years ago. From a Kos comment:

Roe appears to be to the left of Davis. The notable things that Roe seems unique on are supporting the Webb GI bill (that Davis opposed) and supporting the idea of states barring smoking in public places. Davis was getting grilled on things like being too overtly religious in his campaigning and for voting against a dogfighting ban.

Fellow GOoPer Marsha Blackburn held off her challenger 62-38.

Davis is the fourth primary victim of the year, joining Dem Al Wynn and GOP Wayne Gilchrest in MD and GOP Chris Cannon in Utah.