Name: US Rep. Jim Cooper holds onto congressional seat in first contested primary in a decade
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US Rep. Jim Cooper holds onto congressional seat in first contested primary in a decade

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Nashville TennesseanView CommentsU.S. Rep. Jim Cooper&nbsp;will&nbsp;stay on the job after&nbsp;winning his first primary challenge in a decade to represent the Nashville-based&nbsp;5th Congressional District.&nbsp;The&nbsp;veteran of Congress and member of the Blue Dog Coalition of Democrats&nbsp;— a moderate wing of the party — fended off a challenge from progressive attorney Keeda Haynes and Joshua Rawlings, a&nbsp;former Republican small businessperson.&nbsp;The Associated Press called the Democratic race for Cooper at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday. As of 2 a.m. Friday, Cooper held a 57% to 39.7% lead over Haynes. He faces no Republican opposition in the Nov. 3 general election.&nbsp;"I want to continue the work that we need to do in Washington to heal our country, to get everybody the support that we need, and to make sure that our nation moves forward. This is a hinge moment in our history," Cooper said during brief live remarks on Facebook. "Together we can make good things happen. So thank you for giving me another chance."Cooper's win comes as , where candidates with little name recognition have been propelled into the national spotlight. In several cases, new progressive candidates have successfully unseated longtime moderate Democrats.ELECTION RESULTS:There's been a forceful reckoning in the Democratic establishment&nbsp;as centrist politicians and wealthy benefactors are being upheaved by progressives clamoring for radical change. In St. Louis,&nbsp;activist Cori Bush this week ousted longtime U.S. Rep.&nbsp;William Lacy Clay Jr., and earlier this summer, middle school principal Jamaal Bowman defeated party old-timer Rep. Eliot Engel in a New York primary.&nbsp;In a statement, Haynes said one thing is clear: "Our movement has shaken the status quo.""We ran the fiercest primary challenge Jim Cooper has seen in over a decade," she said. "Our voices are stronger than ever. We will continue to speak out, we will continue to lead, and we will bring change to this district."Cooper, 66, raised about seven times as much as Haynes. The challenge, though, forced Cooper to take the race seriously, including airing television ads,&nbsp;as Haynes, 42,&nbsp;attracted support as she's been considered&nbsp;Cooper's first legitimate Democratic challenger in recent memory.Nashville voters generally favor the stability of incumbents.&nbsp;But the surprising strength of&nbsp;Haynes, a relatively unknown outsider, suggests&nbsp;Cooper&nbsp;could be vulnerable against the right candidate in the 2022 primary.&nbsp;With Nashville hit hard by the pandemic, Cooper said his goals are to beat the virus, give economic support to those in need and make sure "everybody gets healthcare" because there's never been a more crucial time. He also mentioned the&nbsp;need to "work together" to fix the criminal justice system and end racism.&nbsp;The contested&nbsp;primary race came as COVID-19 continues to rip through&nbsp;every aspect of American life and the country&nbsp;is reeling&nbsp;as it confronts systemic racism and police brutality.&nbsp;Haynes, a first-time political candidate, ran&nbsp;to "take on the system" as African Americans like herself, have felt "locked out, abandoned and silenced" by a government that was designed to represent everyone's interests.She served&nbsp;6½ years as an assistant public defender at the Metro Nashville Public Defender’s Office, compelled to serve after spending&nbsp;nearly four years in jail after college for a marijuana-related crime she says she did not commit.&nbsp;Several local Black activists and community advocate groups backed her as they hoped she would replace&nbsp;Cooper, who they say&nbsp;is out of&nbsp;touch with Nashville voters.&nbsp;&nbsp;Gicola Lane, a community organizer, told The Tennessean shortly after the race was called, that she was proud of her friend and colleague.&nbsp;Lane is a statewide organizer for Free Hearts, where Haynes is a legal adviser. The nonprofit group provides support, education and advocacy to families impacted by the criminal justice system.&nbsp;Lane said Haynes did the best she could, despite the hurdles of safely campaigning during a pandemic, and going up against Cooper, who has&nbsp;"astronomically" more resources.But while it was hard, Lane said now was the right time for Cooper to be challenged, along with other long-time Democrats nationwide.&nbsp;"It's a historical time across the country. We have to fight on every level. Black Lives Matter," she said.&nbsp;"I think Cooper is definitely vulnerable but this was a hard time. I'm proud Keeda got into the race and brought in a new narrative at a time we needed it most."&nbsp;While , "I'm not a big shot, I'm a hired hand. I'm on a two-year renewable contract."Despite Nashville changing significantly since he was first elected to his seat in 2003, he said he's confident he is&nbsp;still in touch&nbsp;with the desires of voters in his district.&nbsp;He's touted his "progressive record," including his 2010 vote for the Development, Relief and Education for Alien&nbsp;Minors Act and his role in the House's recent passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act&nbsp;—&nbsp;which&nbsp;banned chokeholds, warrantless searches and qualified immunity.And as the ongoing pandemic continues to threaten people's livelihoods, he's pointed to his work with the CARES Act, the&nbsp;massive coronavirus stimulus&nbsp;package lawmakers passed&nbsp;to provide assistance across the country.&nbsp;Cooper noted his opposition to President Donald Trump and his support for President Barack Obama before his 2008 election.Rawlings,&nbsp;who unsuccessfully ran for&nbsp;legislature in 2014, has called Cooper one of the "least effective" members of Congress, pointing to legislation Cooper has sponsored.&nbsp;Discussing the top issues, Rawlings stressed the need to "get big money out of politics," universal health care with a free public option, improving the nation's education system and the environment.&nbsp;Cooper co-sponsored Medicare For All legislation&nbsp;but no longer supports it. And late last year, he&nbsp;received criticism from the Nashville hub of the Sunrise Movement&nbsp;for not supporting the Green New Deal. , a&nbsp;day after former Vice President Al Gore said he still supported Cooper despite there being a more progressive candidate in the race. Justin Jones at the time was running to unseat Cooper.After winning the Democratic primary, Cooper looks to clinch his 16th term in November with&nbsp;no Republicans qualified to run.&nbsp;Joel Ebert and Adam Tamburin contributed to this report.Yihyun Jeong covers politics in Nashville for USA TODAY Network - Tennessee.&nbsp;Reach her at and follow her on Twitter .View Comments

Nashville TennesseanView CommentsU.S. Rep. Jim Cooper&nbsp;will&nbsp;stay on the job after&nbsp;winning his first primary challenge in a decade to represent the Nashville-based&nbsp;5th Congressional District.&nbsp;The&nbsp;veteran of Congress and member of the Blue Dog Coalition of Democrats&nbsp;— a moderate wing of the party — fended off a challenge from progressive attorney Keeda Haynes and Joshua Rawlings, a&nbsp;former Republican small businessperson.&nbsp;The Associated Press called the Democratic race for Cooper at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday. As of 2 a.m. Friday, Cooper held a 57% to...

US Rep. Jim Cooper holds onto congressional seat in first contested primary in a decade

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