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Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson, nationally known as a member of the "Tennessee Three," has launched his bid for Congress.
According to Axios, Pearson, 30, announced that he will challenge Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee) in the primary race for Memphis’ 9th Congressional District.
Pearson, one of the Tennessee lawmakers who made headlines for protesting gun violence on their chamber floor, is backed by Justice Democrats, the progressive group that helped elect Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) and other members of the "Squad." His candidacy signals a push from the party’s left flank to replace entrenched Democratic incumbents with younger, more progressive leaders.
“Steve Cohen has served his district for 20 years in Congress … I'm grateful for his service,” Pearson told Axios. “But politics and government have changed a lot in 20 years, and we need a new voice, a new vision, a new perspective.”
Cohen, 76, has held the Memphis-based seat since 2007. The longtime congressman maintained that he remains the preferred candidate of his district.
“Nobody who's run against me in the nine terms has won a precinct against me,” Cohen told Axios. “It's a Black district, it's the second Blackest district in America … I'm the only [white] person with a majority-minority district. I've always had someone coming up thinking they can take advantage of people's racial interest. The people of Memphis have not had that. They have supported me.”
Pearson, along with Rep. Justin Jones, was expelled from the Tennessee House for protesting gun violence on the chamber floor in the wake of a March shooting at Nashville's The Covenant School. A third Democrat, Rep. Gloria Johnson, also joined the protest but wasn't expelled. Pearson was later reinstated and met with former President Joe Biden, cementing his spot as a rising figure in the Democratic Party.
With Memphis’ 9th Congressional District safely Democratic, the real contest will be the 2026 primary, not the general election. The race is expected to draw national attention as Pearson tries to become the next insurgent progressive to unseat a long-term incumbent.
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