Biography

Biographical Information | Public Office | Community Involvement | Honors

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Stephen “Steve” Ira Cohen (D‑TN‑9), a fourth‑generation Memphian, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 to a majority-minority district focused in Memphis, Tennessee. He is one of the few, if not the only, non-minority and non‑incumbent Members of Congress to be elected to a majority‑minority district. He was reelected in nine successive elections, never losing a precinct in a primary. Congressman Cohen is also the first Jewish person elected to the U.S. Congress from Tennessee, and in 2009, he became the first Member of Congress to be endorsed by J Street.

He serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, to which he was appointed in 2025. He previously chaired the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights & Civil Liberties. He is also the House Ranking Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) and serves as the first-ever Special Representative on Political Prisoners in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly.

Congressman Cohen co-chairs multiple issue-focused caucuses, including those on Tourette Syndrome, biomedical research, U.S.–Turkiye relations, animal protection, global road safety, and counter‑kleptocracy. He has been a prominent advocate for civil rights, authoring the first Congressional apology for slavery and Jim Crow segregation, which passed the House on July 29, 2008. His leadership was recognized at the time by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who described him as “the conscience of the freshman class.” He has also been a strong champion for criminal justice reform, health care access, and economic justice.

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 For nearly two decades, Congressman Cohen served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, including as Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, where he helped shape national transportation policy. Representing Memphis, a global logistics and transportation hub, he made modern infrastructure a core priority. He secured major federal investments for Memphis International Airport, MATA transit improvements, the Port of Memphis, riverfront projects, and critical road and bridge upgrades, culminating in the $393.7 million investment to build a new I-55 bridge over the Mississippi River, the largest infrastructure investment in Tennessee history. He also championed aviation safety reforms, consumer protections, disability access in air travel, and broader national surface transportation initiatives.

Impeachment and constitutional oversight have been significant elements of Congressman Cohen’s congressional record. In November 2017, he introduced five Articles of Impeachment against President Donald Trump. He also served as Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, where he held hearings and filed legislation to address abuse of the presidential pardon power, violations of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, and ensuring democratic representation with the popular election of the President. During both impeachments of Donald Trump in 2019 and 2021, Congressman Cohen was a key voice throughout the process, questioning witnesses, debating amendments, and voting in favor of both sets of articles. On September 24, 2026, Congressman Cohen introduced 26 additional Articles of Impeachment against Trump, citing alleged abuses of power, violations of his oath of office, use of the pardon power, emoluments violations, and other misconduct. In May 2026, he also introduced six Articles of Impeachment against Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, citing what he characterized as constitutional violations, failures to meet statutory and ethical obligations, conflicts of interest, partisan decisions, and other misconduct.

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Since there wasn’t a Democratic Senator from Tennessee during the Obama and Biden Administrations, Congressman Cohen had the duty to make recommendations for Judicial nominations when vacancies occurred.  His recommended candidates successfully received the Presidential nominations and were confirmed, including Ed Stanton, who served as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee and was succeeded by Kevin Ritz, who Congressman Cohen also recommended. In addition, Congressman Cohen recommended Sheryl Lipman and John Fowlkes, Jr. for their District Court judgeships, as well as Appellate Court Judges Bernice Donald, Andre Matthis and Kevin Ritz.  One of the highest compliments Congressman Cohen received was being told that he kept the level of the judicial appointments in high regard.  All the judges he recommended have had honorary and exemplary service.

Congressman Cohen was first elected to public office in 1976 as a delegate to the Tennessee Constitutional Convention, serving as its vice president. In 1978, he was selected to the Shelby County Commission, where he assembled the coalition that resulted in the creation of The MED which today, as Regional One Health, has one of the finest trauma care and burn center units in the Mid-South and serves as Memphis and Shelby County’s public hospital.

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In 1982, he was elected to the Tennessee State Senate to represent District 30 and became the first Jewish member of the State Senate. He served 24 years in the Tennessee State Senate, resigning after his election to Congress. As a State Senator, he is best known for his nearly two-decade effort to establish a state lottery and direct its proceeds toward education. Beginning in 1984, Cohen continuously worked to amend Tennessee’s constitutional prohibition on lotteries, ultimately helping secure the 2002 statewide referendum in which voters approved a constitutional amendment permitting a lottery. He then sponsored legislation establishing the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation and the state’s HOPE Scholarship and other lottery-funded education programs. For this work, he became known as the “Father of the Tennessee Lottery.” Since the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program began in 2004, lottery proceeds have provided more than $8.3 billion for education programs, including scholarships, grants, after-school programs, and other educational initiatives.

He founded the Tennessee Holocaust Commission which has been hailed as one of the finest in the country and championed public education funding. He supported the arts through an innovative and unique funding stream that helped make Tennessee’s arts programs among the best funded in the nation and advanced animal welfare, including authoring the first law in the United States permitting the collection of non-economic damages for a caregivers’ loss of companionship. He also expanded civil rights protections and was often a singular vote on First Amendment issues, including posting of the Ten Commandments and the allowance of same-sex marriage.

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A Vanderbilt B.A. and University of Memphis J.D., Congressman Cohen practiced law in Memphis, served on various local commissions and boards, and remains a lifetime NAACP member. He was named the fifth most effective Democratic member of the 118th Congress (2023-2025) by the Center for Effective Lawmaking—a study co‑directed by professors at Vanderbilt and the University of Virginia.

Born May 24, 1949, in Memphis, Tennessee, Congressman Cohen continues to represent Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District through the end of the 119th Congress. He announced in May 2026 that he would not seek election to any of the newly drawn congressional districts after Tennessee’s redistricting divided the 9th District into three sprawling districts.

Biographical Information

• Born May 24, 1949, Memphis, TN
• B.A. Vanderbilt University, 1971
• J.D. University of Memphis School of Law, 1973
• Established legal practice in 1978 after serving as a legal advisor for the Memphis Police Department

Public Office

• U.S. House of Representatives, 110th through Current Congress, 2007 to Present
• Tennessee General Assembly, State Senator, 93rd through 104th Sessions, 1982 to 2006
• Shelby County Commissioner, 1978 to 1980
• Delegate and Vice-President of the Tennessee Constitutional Convention, 1977

Community Involvement

• Memphis College of Art, Board of Trustees, 1988 - 2002
• Memphis Zoological Council, 2001 - 2006
• Memphis Zoological Society, Board of Directors, 1988 - 2000
• Circuit Playhouse, Inc., Board of Directors, 1977 - Present
• Memphis Redbirds Foundation, 1998 - 2003
• Memphis/Shelby County Center City Commission
• NAACP, Lifetime Member
• Tennessee Holocaust Commission, 1984 - 2006

Honors

2025: Named one of Congress's Most Effective Lawmakers by the Center for Effective Lawmaking—ranked #5 most effective House Democrat

2025: Received the April 4th Foundation's Open Door Award for expanding opportunity and advancing justice in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

2022: United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Legislative Award; Humane Society's Horseman of the Year

2021: Recognized as a Defender of Children by the Campaign for Children

2019: Received a 100+% voting rating on the Humane Society Legislative Fund's annual Legislative Scorecard

2018: Perfect Voting Record on the "Progressive Public Health and Environmental Scorecard" sponsored by National Nurses United, Food & Water Watch, and Progressive Democrats of America

2017: 2017 TAA Public Policy Award from the Tourette Association of America; Distinguished Service Award from the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA); 2017 Appreciation Award for Contribution to U.S.-Azerbaijani Diplomatic Relations; 2017 AOPA Freedom to Fly Award; Named the 35th most effective Democratic lawmaker by the Center for Effective Lawmaking at the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University

2016: Received the 2016 Humane Champion Award from the Humane Society; Received the 2016 Easter Seals Outstanding Advocate Award; Received the 2016 Inaugural GBTA Navigator Award; Named 2016 Drug Policy Reform Champion by Drug Policy Action;

2015: Received the 2015 Champion for Children Award from the First Focus Campaign for Children; Received the 2015 Humane Champion Award from the Humane Society; Nominated as a Caregiving Champion by the National Alliance for Caregiving; Friend of the National Parks Award from the National Parks Conservation Association; Most Outstanding Politician Award at the 20th Annual Stone Awards

2014: Outstanding Legislator Award from the Tennessee Nurses Association; Excellence in Public Service Award from Wiley College; Named "Champion of Reform" by the Drug Policy Alliance; Perfect Voting Record from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Perfect Voting Record on the Humane Society's Legislative Scorecard; Perfect Voting Record on Food Policy Action's National Food Policy Scorecard.

2013: Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Memphis Alumni Association; Perfect Voting Record from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Humane Champion Award from the Humane Society; Award of Appreciation for Outstanding Achievement in recognition of continued environmental advocacy from the Chickasaw Group of the Sierra Club; Public Policy Award from The Tourette Syndrome Association; Perfect Voting Record from NARAL Pro-Choice America; Legislator of the Year Award from The Institute of Real Estate Management and the CCIM Institute; Friend of the National Parks Award from the National Parks Conservation Association.

2012: Defender of Children Award from the First Focus Campaign for Children; Humane Champion Award from the Humane Society; Most Valuable Policymaker Award from the Sports Fans Coalition; Tribute of Hope Award from the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization; Named Public Official of the Year by the Tennessee Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers; National Urban League award for cosponsoring the Urban Jobs Act of 2011; Named a Defender of Children by the First Focus Campaign for Children.

2011: Friend of the National Parks Award from the National Parks Conservation Association.

2010: NFL Gridiron Greats Award for his work on reducing head injuries in football; Tennessee Equal Justice 2010 Legislative Leadership Award from Memphis Area Legal Services for his work to increase funding for the Legal Services Corporation and for working to address racial and ethnic disparities in the federal criminal justice system; American Bar Association Day Award for his work to promote equal access to justice; Trinity Community Coalition Outreach Appreciation Award for his work to help combat drug and alcohol abuse, recidivism and homelessness.

2009: America Hero Award from ProtectingAmerica.org; 14th Annual Stone Award Politician of the Year; Exhoodus Council's first annual Urban Peace and Courage Award; "Candle on the Bluff Award" presented by the Memphis Chapter of Morehouse College Alumni and New Olivet Baptist Church; Humane Society "Humane Champion" award.

2008: The Vida Foundation's D. Emelio Castelar Work Recognition Award (International Humanitarian Award presented in Madrid, Spain); Memphis Flyer "Best of Memphis" Reader's Poll: Best Memphian; Selected as one of the Forward 50 by The Forward, America's largest Jewish newspaper, recognizing the most influential Jewish Americans of the year; 13th Annual Stone Awards Recipient: Most Outstanding Politician; Tennessee Communication Association's Communicator of the Year; Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Award of Excellence for Public Service; Tennessee Principals Association "Friend of Education Award;" Alpha Kappa Alpha Beta Epsilon Omega Chapter AKAward For Outstanding Public Service in the Area of the Economic Keys to Success; Honorary Degree from LeMoyne-Owen College

2007: Planned Parenthood "Bob James Award"; Memphis Gridiron Show Headliner Award – Mid-South Newsmaker of the Year; Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) Region IV Political Award; Business Tennessee 2007 Power 100: Top 100 Most Powerful People in Tennessee; U.S. Humane Society 2007 Humane Champion Award

2006: Tennessee Humane Association Legislative Achievement Award - In Recognition and Appreciation of Continued Support of Animal Related Legislation.

2004: Shelby County Democratic Party "William W. (Bill) Farris Political Leadership Award"; Business Tennessee Magazine "Power 100"; University of Memphis Society "Walter Barret Distinguished Service Award"; University of Memphis "Eye of the Tiger Award"

2003: National College Board "Excellence in Education" award, presented at NCSL Convention; Boys and Girls Clubs of Tennessee "Legislator of the Year Award"; Knoxville News-Sentinel columnist's "Legislator of the Year"

2002: Tennessee Human Rights Campaign "Public Leadership Award"

2001: Governor's Awards in the Arts "Leadership Award"; Executive Seminar for Legislative Leaders; University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

2000: AAA Legislator of the Year Award; Holocaust Commission award; AutoZone Park Opening Day First Pitch

1999: TN Pediatrics Society Friend of Children Award

1998: Memphis Arts Council/"Memphis Theatre Award"

1997: Common Cause of Tennessee "Bird Dog Award" for ethics

1996: University of Tennessee-Memphis Faculty Senate's Presidential Citation; Memphis Magazine Reader's Poll "Best Local Politician"

1995: Lorin Hollander Arts Award from the Tennessee Arts Academy; Memphis Women's Political Caucus Good Guys Award

1994: Unitarian Fellowship Dr. Peter Cooper Award

1992: Tennesseans for the Arts Advocate Award; Tennessee Bill of Rights Award; Tennessee Association of County Election Officials Award; Common Cause of Tennessee "Bird Dog Award" for ethics; Sierra Club "green list" top rating in Senate

1991: Community Mental Retardation Agencies of Tennessee Legislator of the Year Award; The Blues Foundation Keeping the Blues Alive Award

1988: Save Shelby Farms Award

1987: Memphis Arts Council Commendation