Rep. Cohen Wins Primary Despite Inappropriate Attacks
Jewish Rep. Steve Cohen—he of the House resolution condemning slavery and Jim Crow laws that we covered recently—has overcome his opponent Nikki Tinker and her advertising attacks to win the Democratic primary in Tennessee's Ninth District. The district's tiny Republican contingent means the primary victory guarantees him his seat.
What made the primary so contentious were two ads that Tinker ran in the days leading up to the vote. One attempts to connect Rep. Cohen to the KKK by describing how he voted against removing an antiquated park statue, followed by a "Who is the real Steve Cohen?" challenge.
The other ad, according to JTA, implies "that Cohen's religion made him an outsider in the district":
While Cohen visits "our churches, clapping his hands and tapping his feet,” the ad said, “he’s the only senator who thought...