GOP’s Taylor wins Cohen’s redistricted Tennessee House seat

Tennessee state Sen. Brent Taylor (R) is projected to win the state’s redistricted 9th Congressional District seat, replacing Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), who is retiring, according to Decision Desk HQ, The Hill’s partner.

Taylor defeated Democratic state Rep. Justin Pearson, independent Dennis Jeffrey Clark and independent Michelle Head in this House race.

In the days leading up to Election Day, Taylor’s campaign was hit by controversy after the Nashville Scene published a report that alleged Taylor sent unsolicited nude photos as late as 2021 to people who were not his wife. He told The Scene his “wife is well aware of” the photos and “we’ve worked through it a long time ago.”

In another interview with WREG , Taylor said the report “signals where we are in the campaign and who the frontrunner is with just seven days left in the campaign.”

“I’m willing to acknowledge my past indiscretions,” he said, frustrated “that my wife now has to relive something that we’ve already worked through together and moved on from.”

Taylor also benefitted from a gerrymandering effort — backed by President Trump — that favored the GOP in Tennessee. Cohen criticized the move , blasting Republicans for orchestrating what he called a power grab to disenfranchise Black voters in districts like his.

Cohen said his decision to retire from the House was driven by this maneuver, telling reporters earlier this year outside the House Rayburn building that he was “not a quitter” but “these districts were drawn to defeat me.”

While on the campaign trail, Taylor touted his record as a successful small-business owner; he and his wife own multiple funeral homes in Tennessee. He campaigned on combating high grocery and gas prices, lowering energy costs, reducing federal spending and securing the Southern border, according to his campaign website .