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Tenn. 9th District Incumbent Wins Democratic Primary

By Nicole Erwin

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkno/local-wkno-741418.mp3

Memphis, TN – Congressman Steve Cohen took home the 9th District congressional seat Democratic nomination for the second time after weeks of negative campaign attacks from opposition Nikki Tinker.

Cohen and Tinker went head to head for the second time in the primary race for the seat. Four years ago the two held the top two seats against more than a dozen others. This time around, the two took the lead of five candidates. Again, Steve Cohen ended the night as victor.

Cohen claims the win as a victory for Memphis.

Presidential candidate Barack Obama and former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. weighed in on the election, saying that Nikki Tinker's negative campaign tactics had no place in politics.

Memphis voters seemed to agree. Cohen took home almost 80 percent of the vote.

When asked whether or not Steve Cohen felt Nikki Tinker's most recent ad linking him to the Ku Klux Klan helped his victory, he said absolutely not.

Tinker agreed.

Tinker says she wouldn't change a thing about the way she ran her campaign, and might even run again.

Memphis Daily News reporter Bill Dries says the negative Tinker ads played only a small role in Cohen's victory.