Justin J. Pearson

Current office and 2026 campaign

Justin Pearson currently serves as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 86, having assumed office on August 21, 2023, following his reappointment by the Shelby County Commission after a controversial expulsion from the chamber earlier that year ¹³⁷. His current term in the state legislature is scheduled to end on November 3, 2026 ¹.

In the upcoming election cycle, Pearson has declared his candidacy for the Democratic primary to represent Tennessee's 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives ¹. He announced his plan to challenge incumbent U.S. Representative Steve Cohen during a campaign event at Memphis’s Alonzo Weaver Park in October 2025 ¹². Pearson frames his congressional bid as an effort to preserve Memphis' only majority Black congressional district from potential elimination ⁹.

Simultaneously, Pearson is seeking re-election to the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 86, with a Democratic primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 ¹.

Background and education

Justin J. Pearson was born in 1995 ⁴. He is a resident of Memphis, Tennessee, where he serves as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 86 ¹². Specific details regarding his early upbringing, religious affiliation, or the specific schools and degrees he attended are not provided in the available source material.

Career

Before entering elected office, Justin J. Pearson graduated from Bowdoin College with a Bachelor of Arts degree ¹⁶. He established himself as a community organizer and activist in Memphis, Tennessee, focusing on issues such as environmental justice, gun safety, and economic equity ¹⁷. During this period, he served as the president and founder of Memphis Community Against Pollution ¹⁷.

Pearson’s professional background is rooted in advocacy and community leadership rather than traditional corporate or military service. He describes his career as that of an advocate and fighter for justice ¹⁸. His work as a community organizer preceded his election to the Tennessee House of Representatives in January 2023, at which point he became one of the youngest lawmakers in the state’s history ¹⁷.

Office history

Justin J. Pearson was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 86 in January 2023, becoming one of the youngest members of the chamber by replacing the late Barbara Cooper ⁷. He assumed office on August 21, 2023, with his current term ending on November 3, 2026 ¹. As a state representative, he serves in a body where members serve two-year terms and represent an average of approximately 69,868 residents as of the 2020 Census ².

In March 2023, Pearson was expelled from the Tennessee House along with Representatives Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson after leading an anti-gun protest on the chamber floor in response to the Nashville school shooting ³⁵⁶. The Republican supermajority voted to oust him, a move that former President Joe Biden described as "shocking," "undemocratic," and "unprecedented" ⁷¹³.

Following his expulsion, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted 7-0 to reappoint Pearson to fill the vacant seat during a special meeting on April 12, 2023 ⁸¹⁴. The commission suspended a rule requiring a waiting period between nomination and confirmation to facilitate his rapid return to Nashville ¹⁵. Pearson was sworn back into office shortly thereafter, stating that lawmakers could not "expel hope" or "expel justice" ⁸¹³.

Pearson is currently running for re-election to the Tennessee House of Representatives to represent District 86 in the Democratic primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 ¹. He has also declared his candidacy for the Democratic primary to represent Tennessee's 9th Congressional District in the same election cycle ¹. Pearson announced his bid to challenge longtime U.S. Representative Steve Cohen in October 2025 ¹².

Legislative record and accomplishments

As a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 86, Pearson’s legislative tenure was marked by a high-profile conflict regarding gun control legislation following the Nashville school shooting ⁵. In March 2023, Pearson joined two other Democratic representatives in a protest on the House floor demanding stricter gun laws, which led to his expulsion by the Republican supermajority ³¹¹. This action made him one of only a small number of state legislators expelled since 2000 ³.

Following his ouster, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to reappoint Pearson to his seat, allowing him to return to the legislature as an interim representative ⁷¹⁰. During this period, Pearson became part of the group known as the "Tennessee Three," a label applied to the three Democratic lawmakers involved in the protest who faced expulsion proceedings ¹¹. Upon his reinstatement, Pearson stated that the legislative body could not expel hope or justice ¹³.

Pearson’s legislative record and subsequent political trajectory include a focus on preserving Memphis' only majority Black congressional district from elimination ⁹. In October 2025, he announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Tennessee's 9th Congressional District in the 2026 Democratic primary, challenging incumbent U.S. Representative Steve Cohen ¹². Pearson declared his candidacy for both the U.S. House and re-election to the Tennessee House of Representatives simultaneously ¹.

Documented disputes and controversies

In March 2023, Pearson was expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives by a vote of the Republican supermajority after he and two other Democratic representatives, known as the "Tennessee Three," staged an anti-gun violence protest on the chamber floor following the Nashville school shooting ³⁵. The expulsion followed an incident in which Pearson engaged in a verbal altercation with a Tennessee State Trooper who had entered the chamber to remove him ⁵.

Following his ouster, Pearson faced a vacancy in his District 86 seat that required reappointment by local officials. On April 12, 2023, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to reinstate Pearson to the Tennessee House, overriding a procedural rule that would have imposed a waiting period for his nomination ⁸¹⁰¹⁵. The reinstatement was widely publicized, with President Joe Biden describing the initial expulsion as "shocking," "undemocratic," and "unprecedented" ⁷¹³.

Pearson’s political trajectory shifted toward federal office in October 2025 when he announced a challenge to incumbent U.S. Representative Steve Cohen in the 2026 Democratic primary for Tennessee's 9th Congressional District ¹¹². Pearson stated that his campaign would focus on faith and the preservation of Memphis' majority Black congressional district, which faces potential elimination due to redistricting ⁹¹².

Sources