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Stephen Ira "Steve" Cohen (born May 24, 1949), is a member of the Tennessee State Senate from Memphis. In November 2006, Cohen won the United States House of Representatives seat for Tennessee's Ninth District.

Early life and education

Cohen was born in Memphis, Tennessee on May 24, 1949 to pediatrician and psychiatrist Morris Cohen and his wife Genevieve.Project Vote Smart biographyFiery Cohen builds loyal support base, by Halimah Abdullah, The Commercial Appeal, October 19, 2006 He is a fourth-generation Memphian,Cohen's campaign website biography and is the grandson of a Lithuanian immigrant newsstand owner.Yo Vey! (subscribers only), Jonathan Martin, The New Republic, September 25, 2006. Cohen contracted polio when he was five, and the disease caused him to shift his attention from sports to politics at an early age. When Cohen was eleven, John F. Kennedy made a campaign stop in Memphis, and Cohen took a picture of Kennedy sitting on a convertible. Cohen describes Kennedy as his political hero; the picture still hangs in his office.

Cohen graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1973, he graduated from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law of Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) with a Juris Doctor.

Politics

Early career

After practicing law for three years as Legal Advisor for the Memphis Police Department, Cohen rose to political prominence at the age of 27 when he was elected to the Tennessee Constitutional Convention of 1977, which elected him its vice president. "Elder Statesmen", Jackson Baker, Memphis Flyer, June 14, 2006. Cohen was then elected to serve as a commissioner on the Shelby County Commission, an office he held from 1978 to 1980. During his time at the Commission, Cohen was instrumental in the creation of The Med, a community-funded regional hospital. In 1980, Cohen served as an interim Shelby County General Sessions Court judge. He has also served as a delegate to the 1980, 1992, and 2004 Democratic National Conventions.

Tennessee state legislature

Cohen was elected to the Tennessee General Assembly in 1982 as a Senator representing District 30, which includes most of downtown Memphis. He has held that position for 24 years.

For 16 years, Cohen strove to repeal the ban on lotteries in the Tennessee State Constitution. His efforts were successful in 2002, and a state lottery program designed to provide college scholarships for Tennessee students was adopted the following year. The lottery program is regarded as the most well-known accomplishment of Cohen's Senate career. Cohen has also sponsored legislation relating to expansion of community access to healthcare, the protection of animal rights, the reinstatement of voting rights, and funding for the arts during his career.

In March of 2005, Cohen was one of three Tennessee Senators to vote against the Tennessee Marriage Protection Amendment, which Tennessee voters will accept or reject via a referendum in November 2006.Senate OKs gay marriage ban, Skip Cauthorn, The City Paper, March 1, 2005. During the course of the debate on the amendment, Cohen offered several amendments to the amendment, all of which failed, including the proposed addition of an "adultery clause," which said "Adultery is deemed to be a threat to the institution of marriage and contrary to public policy in Tennessee."Marriage Act sponsor facing divorce, Skip Cauthorn, The City Paper, April 15, 2005.

Cohen is widely regarded as one of the Senate's toughest and most articulate debaters. He has an unusually straightforward and direct style when compared to many Southern politicians. One Tennessee writer described him as "very outspoken, very persistent, and a lot more cerebral than most of his colleagues."

As of 2006, he is the only Jewish member of the Tennessee General Assembly and has been described as "probably the most liberal white member in the legislature."

1996 House campaign

In 1996, Cohen ran for election to the United States House of Representatives seat for the 9th District, which came open when 22-year incumbent and fellow Democrat Harold Ford, Sr. announced his retirement. The then 26-year-old Harold Ford, Jr., the incumbent's son, was his opponent in the Democratic primary. Reflecting on the race, Cohen said, "I'd spent fourteen years in the [state] Senate, had the experience, and didn't like the idea of [the seat] being handed down like an heirloom."

Cohen lost the primary to Ford by 25 points. Noting that Ford, an African-American, did much better than Cohen in majority black precincts despite Ford's inexperience, Cohen said, "It is impossible for a person who is not African American to get a large vote in the African American community . . . against a substantial candidate. The fact is, I am white, and it doesn't seem to matter what you do." Later, Cohen admitted that his statement was "impolitic" but also noted that "race is still an important factor in voting."

Cohen did not have to give up his State Senate seat to run for the open Congressional seat because Tennessee State Senators serve staggered four-year terms, and he was not up for reelection to the State Senate until 1998.

2006 House campaign

In early April 2006, Cohen announced that he was again running for the 9th District seat; Ford, Jr. was not running for reelection. Cohen was the first candidate in the race with significant name recognition outside the Memphis area but had fourteen opponents in the primary. The Commercial Appeal, Memphis' predominant daily newspaper, endorsed Cohen in the race.From the editorial board: Our recommendations in Aug. 3 races, The Commercial Appeal, July 28, 2006.

Despite being dramatically outspent (six Democrats raised more money than him http://www.opensecrets.org/states/election.asp?State=TN&year=2006), Cohen won the August 3 primary by a decisive 4,000-vote margin. He faced Republican Mark White and independent Jake Ford (Harold, Jr.'s younger brother) in the general election in November.Steve Cohen wins; will face Jake Ford, Mark White in November, Halimah Abdullah, The Commercial Appeal, August 3, 2006.

Though the Ninth District is heavily Democratic, Jake Ford was seen as a serious contender for the race because of his significant name recognition among Memphis' black voters. The Ford family has been a significant force in Memphis' black community since the days of E.H. Crump.

Cohen was endorsed by the mayor of Memphis, W. W. Herenton, and the mayor of Shelby County, A. C. Wharton, both of whom are black and members of the Democratic Party.Mayors endorse Cohen, Halimah Abdullah and Lawrence Buser, The Commercial Appeal, September 7, 2006.

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.9th District rivals spar over war, pot, politics, by Alex Doniach, The Commercial Appeal, October 9, 2006 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 won the election by a decisive margin, winning sixty percent of the vote to Ford's twenty-two percent and White's eighteen percent.http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/TN/H/09/index.html

Cohen will be the first Jew to represent Tennessee in the House, as well as the first white Democrat to represent a significant portion of Memphis since freshman George Grider was defeated by Republican Dan Kuykendall in 1966. He will also be one of the few white congressmen that has represented a black-majority district. Cohen has told reporters that he will seek to become the first white member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Pundits have speculated that Cohen's outspokenness and wit make him "a good bet to become an instant national figure" in the House.

Issue positions and ideology

Cohen maintains liberal positions on many issues, including staunch support for environmental protection,Cohen campaign website, Issues-Environment opposition to the George W. Bush Administration over the War in Iraq,Cohen campaign website, Issues-Iraq and support for a woman's right to an abortion.Cohen campaign website, Issues-Women's Issues To expand funds available for research and development of alternative energy sources, Cohen supports the imposition of an excess profits tax on oil companies.Cohen compaign website, Issues-Energy Cohen has said that he believes that adequate health care is a "fundamendal right" of all citizens.Cohen campaign website, Issues-Health Care Cohen generally supports gay rights (including civil unions), gender equality, separation of church and state, and progressive taxation. On the other hand, Cohen has also supported more conservative positions on the issues of gun control and capital punishment.

Trivia

Cohen was a friend of the late musician Warren Zevon, who included him in the "Thanks" listing in the booklet accompanying his final album, The Wind.

A room in Cohen's home contains a collection of more than 3,000 campaign buttons.

External links

• Tennessee legislature bio
  
• Cohen for Congress website
• Cohen, Ford, White clash, Halimah Abdullah, The Commercial Appeal, September 26, 2006
• Cohen honored for animal activism, Cindy Wolff, The Commercial Appeal, September 14, 2006
• Racial politics takes a hit, editorial, The Commercial Appeal, September 8, 2006
• Fiery Cohen builds loyal support base, by Halimah Abdullah, The Commercial Appeal, October 19, 2006
• On Their Way: Cohen Rises Above Ford Family Drama in Tenn. 9, by Rachel Kapochunas, CQPolitics.com, Nov. 2, 2006

References

Tennessee Blue Book, 2005-2006 edition, p. 22

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