The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) revealed exclusively to The Tennessee Star Monday that Tennessee’s newly redrawn 9th Congressional District has been added to its list of targeted races for the 2026 election cycle.
NRCC’s move comes after Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District was reshaped during a special legislative session earlier this year shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court released its ruling in the case Louisiana v. Callais. The redrawn district prompted incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) (pictured above) to retire and end his reelection bid, leaving the race for the new seat wide open.
According to the NRCC, President Donald Trump carried the new version of the district by 21 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, making it one of the party’s top pickup opportunities in the South.
“For years, Tennesseans in the Ninth District have been denied commonsense leadership,” NRCC spokesman Reilly Richardson said in a statement provided to The Star. “This November, Republicans are going to flip TN-09 red and elect a Republican Representative who will help President Trump grow the economy, secure the border, and improve community safety.”
The NRCC’s announcement follows President Trump’s endorsement of State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) (pictured here), who is seeking the Republican nomination for the newly redrawn district.
State Rep Brent Taylor
In a Truth Social post issued July 13, Trump praised Taylor as a “highly respected” state senator and businessman, highlighting his support from U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN).
Trump said Taylor would work to advance his administration’s priorities, including economic growth, border security, energy production, tax reductions, election integrity, and support for law enforcement and the Second Amendment.
“Brent Taylor has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Representative from Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” Trump wrote.
Taylor welcomed the endorsement, calling it an opportunity to advance the America First agenda in Tennessee.
“We have an unprecedented opportunity to cement President Trump’s America First agenda in Tennessee’s history for generations to come,” Taylor said. “Now, from Collierville to College Grove, I’m ready to bring that same fight to Washington on behalf of the great people of Tennessee.”
Taylor faces State Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill), Charlotte Bergmann, and Jeremy Thompson in the August 6 Republican primary.
On the Democratic side for the 9th District, State Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) has emerged as the preferred candidate of the party’s progressive wing. Pearson has secured endorsements from U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), adding to earlier endorsements from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), and Ro Khanna (D-CA-17).
Pearson is competing in the Democratic primary against State Senator London Lamar (D-Memphis), La Troy A-Williams, and Jim Torino.
Early voting for Tennessee’s August 6 primary began July 17 and continues through August 1.
The NRCC’s decision to target Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District also comes as the committee broadens its national push to expand the House Republican majority through its newly renamed “MAGA Majority” program, which provides early support, strategic resources, and increased visibility to Republican candidates in battleground districts.
Last week, the committee announced seven additional candidates had been added to the initiative, bringing the total number of MAGA Majority candidates nationwide to 24 as Republicans seek to expand the electoral map and grow their House majority in 2026.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Rep. Steve Cohen” by Rep. Steve Cohen.Â
