State Rep. Justin Pearson Launches US House Seat Primary
Rep. Justin Pearson of ‘Tennessee Three’ Launches US House Seat Primary
On Wednesday, Tennessee State Rep. Justin Pearson announced he’s launching a primary against Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen ahead of the 2026 midterms.
According to NBC News, Justin Pearson’s primary bid is backed by Justice Democrats and Leaders We Deserve, a PAC formed by former Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg to support primary challenges against old guard Democrats. Leaders We Deserve has pledged $1 million to Pearson’s campaign.
“For too long, our district has been told to ‘keep going’ with the same leadership and the same outcomes,” Pearson said in a statement announcing his campaign. Pearson cited the poverty rate in Memphis as one of “Our median income in 2024 was only 65% of the national average. Poverty persists across neighborhoods, and we’ve seen significantly less federal investment compared to other communities in Tennessee.
“We can’t afford more of the same,” Pearson said. “It’s time for a new vision — one that matches the scale of our challenges with the urgency our people deserve.”
Rep. Cohen was first elected to represent Tennessee’s Ninth District in 2006 and has represented the district for nearly two decades since. This is the first time Cohen has faced a primary challenger during his tenure. Pearson implied that this lack of a challenge has resulted in Cohen not being engaged with his constituents.
“Our people need a fighter who will be in the fight for justice and opportunity with them — not just in title, but in action,” Pearson said. Justin Pearson’s campaign listed affordable housing, common sense gun laws, “Medicare for All,” federal funding to combat crime and poverty, and support for military veterans.
Justin Pearson was among the “Tennessee Three” who were expelled from the Tennessee State House for protesting gun violence on the House floor. He was eventually reinstated a week later and has since used his platform to speak out against the Trump administration, as well as for causes that affect Black communities nationwide. He’s been particularly vocal against Elon Musk’s xAI building a supercomputer in southwest Memphis.
Hogg released a statement celebrating Pearson as a “tested fighter,” adding, “In this moment of crisis, I’m calling on Representative Steve Cohen to pass the torch to Justin J. Pearson — a transformational leader who can inspire a new generation.”
“The communities and rising young leadership Justin represents in the 9th are on the frontlines of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s war on working families,” Justice Democrats Executive Director Alexandra Rojas said in a statement, later adding, “This district does not have time to wait or keep going with the same status quo leadership that has governed for decades.
While Justin Pearson’s primary is part of a larger wave of frustration from young Democrats at the perceived ineffectiveness of older Democratic legislators to combat the Trump administration, Pearson said he would not make Cohen’s age central to his campaign. “This is about us being able to fight for our families, for our values, for our future, in this moment in time,” Pearson said in an interview.
Be it Cohen or Pearson, whoever wins the primary will likely represent the deep Blue district in Congress following the 2026 midterms. Cohen won his 2024 primary with 74% of the vote and the general election by a similar margin.
SEE ALSO:
‘Boycott Tennessee’ Movement Grows After Black Lawmakers Expelled
Tennessee Republicans Expel Black Lawmakers, Not White Rep.
Rep. Justin Pearson of ‘Tennessee Three’ Launches US House Seat Primary was originally published on newsone.com
