The Field Is Growing

Eleven people so far have pulled petitions to run for the 9th Congressional District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., D-Tenn., and a 12th, state Sen. Steve Cohen, said Tuesday he's mulling a candidacy.
At least four others have also expressed interest in the race.


Also Tuesday, Republican security guard John Farmer, who initially declared to run in the District 9 race, will instead run in District 8, the seat held by nine-term incumbent Democrat John Tanner. The 8th includes Millington.
And unlike 2004, when Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn ran unopposed in the primary and general elections, Southwind Middle School social studies teacher Bill Morrison, 34, will make the 7th District race competitive as a Democrat. The 7th includes parts of eastern Shelby County. "I don't think the people up there are representing us anymore," Morrison said.
Cohen, 56, said Tuesday he is considering running on the policy issues he has long advocated. "I'm on a listening tour. I don't have a timetable. I'm not leaning in either direction. I'm studying a lot of issues both here and there."
The deadline to file the petitions is noon on April 6.
Cohen ran for the 9th in 1996 but lost to Ford Jr. in the Democratic primary, Ford Jr.'s first race. Cohen got 34 percent of the primary vote to Ford's 60 percent and four minor candidates split the rest.
Because Cohen is in the middle of a four-year state Senate term, he would not have to give up the statehouse seat to run for Congress and he said constituents are urging him to make the race.
He said he would run on the "same issues I've always espoused up here: concern for working people, concern for the Bill of Rights, concern for peace, for bringing people home from Iraq and spending the money on issues here at home. It's pretty clear: I'm a national Democrat."
Other potential Democratic candidates who have expressed interest but had not pulled petitions by late Tuesday are Laura Davis, Tyson Pratcher, Ron Redwing and Edward L. Stanton III.
Davis, 54, is an independent contractor; Pratcher, 30, is a lawyer and a Hillary Rodham Clinton Senate staffer; Redwing, 39, is the Memphis Center City Development Corporation chairman; and Stanton, 33, is a FedEx attorney and former assistant city attorney.
Farmer announced his decision to switch races on Tuesday, days after Mark White, 55, second vice chair of the Shelby County Republican Party and co-owner of Grand Events and Party Rentals, declared for the 9th.
Farmer, 51, who lives in Memphis but would move to Martin if elected, said he has nothing against Tanner, but thinks he's gotten too liberal and it's time for him to retire. Farmer says "backing up the President" on terrorism, economic development, opposing same-sex marriage and protecting the flag are his main campaign issues.