Axios: “U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, who sat at the mountaintop of Nashville Democratic politics for decades and mentored a generation of civic leaders, announced his retirement Tuesday after a bruising redistricting battle.
Why it matters: The General Assembly’s plan to split Nashville among three congressional districts would have made him a re-election underdog.
- His retirement at the end of his current term, along with redistricting, plunges Nashville politics into a state of upheaval.
- As the city faced disasters and meteoric growth, Cooper, 67, was a steady standard bearer. The Cooper family — including his brother, Nashville Mayor John Cooper — is a local dynasty.
- Cooper is the 29th Democratic House incumbent to announce retirement in the run-up to the midterms.”