Opinion: Calling partisanship racism doesn’t make it so

By , Guest Columnist Updated: September 08, 2026 8:57 AM CT | Published: September 08, 2026 4:00 AM CT
John Covington
Guest Columnist

John Covington

John Covington is a lifelong Shelby County resident. He spent nearly two decades teaching history at both the high school and college levels before entering law enforcement, where he has served in the Memphis Police Department for more than a decade. He is vice president of the Memphis Police Association, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Memphis, and is active in local Republican politics.

John Covington says, “Beyond the incendiary rhetoric, the facts are straightforward: Tennessee Republicans wanted another Republican seat – and said so plainly.”

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