State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis), who is running in the Republican primary election for Tennessee’s newly drawn 9th Congressional District, said the state’s newly redrawn district resembles the district where he previously ran against now-U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for Congress more than two decades ago.
Taylor, who launched his congressional campaign shortly after the Tennessee General Assembly approved the new district map last week, told The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy that the newly drawn district “stretches from Memphis all the way up to the Nashville suburbs,” and compared it to the state’s 7th Congressional District in which he unsuccessfully ran against Blackburn in 2002.
“You’ve heard me say about Senator Blackburn that, you haven’t got an ass whooping until you get you one of Marsha Blackburn ass whoopings,” Taylor said during Monday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show. “That’s why I have not run for Congress anywhere near Williamson County until I could have her blessing, and I have it, and I’m off to the races.”
Taylor said the new 9th Congressional District is “very similar” to the one that existed prior to the 2010 redistricting cycle and noted that Democrats previously divided Shelby County into multiple congressional districts as well.
“They are screaming like the rec room at the insane asylum over the fact that we have divided Shelby County into three districts,” Taylor said. “They did it back in the early 2000s when I ran for Congress, and Congressman Steve Cohen, who was a state senator then, he voted for that plan. So I’m not sure what the hell he’s talking about this year with the fact that we’ve done the same thing they did 20 years ago.”
Taylor argued the new district reflects Tennessee’s political and geographic diversity.
“If you look at the 9th Congressional District, it stretches from an urban core in Memphis across suburbs of Memphis and Nashville, across rural areas,” Taylor said. “This district looks like Tennessee, and a congressman ought to represent the interest of their district.”
Discussing his political priorities as he runs for Congress, Taylor pointed to his work opposing progressive policies in Memphis, specifically those related to crime.
“I’ve been fighting Tennessee’s only Soros-backed DA,” Taylor said. “I’ve been fighting these woke local governments trying to defund our police and implement sanctuary cities.”
On immigration, Taylor added, “I like Tennessee the way I like my sweet tea, and that’s with a lot of ice.”
Taylor repeatedly described himself during the interview as “a fighter who wins” and “a fighter who can take Tennessee to the top.”
He also discussed his decision to contribute $1 million of his personal funds to his congressional campaign and said his team plans to aggressively campaign throughout the district.
“We’re gonna have the resources available to touch every single voter in the 9th Congressional District,” Taylor said. “This race…is not gonna be handed to anybody, and I expect to earn people’s vote, and I’m gonna earn the right to become Tennessee’s 9th congressman.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X.
Photo “Brent Taylor” by Brent Taylor.
Just saw your interview on Worldview Radio. Great interview and look forward to voting for you to represent the 09 district. Would like to run an idea by you. There was talk about Tennessee issuing Tennessee goldbacks. But seems to have gotten lost. I would appreciate that being brought back up. It would go a long way along with your plan to allow gold and silver to be used as legal tender. Thanks for your consideration.