The 67-year-old Cooper, who was first elected to Congress in 1982, cited redistricting as the primary driver of his choice to leave.
"Despite my strength at the polls, I could not stop the General Assembly from dismembering Nashville," he announced in a statement.
"No one tried harder to keep our city whole. I explored every possible way, including lawsuits, to stop the gerrymandering and win one of the three new congressional districts that now divide Nashville. There's no way, at least for me in this election cycle, but there may be a path for other worthy candidates."
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Cooper continued that he was declaring his decision "promptly so that others have more time to campaign" and vowed to return donations for a reelection campaign that would not take place.
Cooper is the third longest-serving member in Congress and a member of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition. He has repeatedly voted against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) having her leadership role, although he did back her for the top post in 2020.
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The outgoing lawmaker outlined himself in his retirement announcement as "a proud Democrat who refuses to demagogue, and who chooses to be on the right side of history in order to give all our kids a better future. My votes certainly fueled our Republican legislature's revenge."
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Cooper has represented Tennessee's 5th District, which includes all of Nashville, since 2003. The latest redistricting plan passed this week by state legislators divides Davidson County, where Nashville is located, into three separate districts. Democrats and Liberal activists have grumbled the plan amounts to an unconstitutional gerrymander that dilutes the minority vote.
Republicans hailed Cooper's retirement as the latest sign Democrats feel they have no possibility of keeping the House majority after November's elections.
"The Democrats' retirement crisis shows no signs of slowing down. No one wants to run on Democrats' radical agenda of violent crime, open borders and skyrocketing prices," NRCC Spokeswoman Camille Gallo announced in a statement.
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Of the 29 House Democrats who have stated they will not run for reelection, 21 explained they are retiring from public life, while four are running for the U.S. Senate and four more are seeking another office. Thirteen House Republicans have announced they will not pursue another two-year term.
Cooper knew he had a target on his back, telling POLITICO last summer: "What's to restrain them? They have a supermajority. There's a three-vote difference here, and they're going to obey Emily Post etiquette?"
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