Taylor declares victory in narrow race for Tennessee’s redrawn US House District 9

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Republican State Senator Brent Taylor has declared himself the winner in the narrow race for Tennessee’s newly redrawn 9th Congressional District.

As of 11 p.m. Tuesday, Taylor leads the race with 49.6% of the vote, while Democratic Tennessee Senator Justin Pearson trails with 48.5%, with an estimated 99% of precincts reporting.

Pearson says he’s not conceding.

Polls closed at 7 p.m. CT. Votes are still being counted.

Click here for LIVE election results for all midterm races.

Back in May, the Republican-controlled Tennessee House and Senate passed a redistricting plan that splits Memphis into three congressional districts. The move drew sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers who accused Republicans of racial gerrymandering.

The redrawn Memphis-based district stretches roughly 200 miles into West Tennessee.

More than 70% of voters are new to the district.

Incumbent Congressman Steve Cohen is stepping down after 19 years of representing Tennessee’s 9th District.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter!

Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.