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Justin Pearson, a Memphis-area state representative and member of the “Tennessee Three,” secured victory in Thursday’s Democratic primary for Tennessee’s newly redrawn 9th Congressional District. Pearson defeated state Sen. London Lamar, community activist Marion LaTroy Alexandria-Williams and attorney Jim Torino in a race that will pit him against a Republican opponent in November.
The primary victory came on the strength of substantial financial resources and high-profile endorsements from prominent progressive lawmakers. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Summer Lee of Pennsylvania—members of the congressional caucus known as “the Squad”—campaigned alongside Pearson at a Memphis rally last month.
Beyond establishment Democratic support, Pearson also benefited from endorsements by Justice Democrats, the Working Families Party, MoveOn and Indivisible. Known for his impassioned, sermon-style oratory, Pearson entered the race with a significantly larger campaign fund than his Democratic opponents.
Pearson gained national recognition in 2023 as one of three Tennessee lawmakers who staged a gun-control demonstration on the state House floor following a Nashville school shooting that claimed six lives. Republican lawmakers expelled Pearson and fellow state Rep. Justin Jones, though both later reclaimed their seats. Democratic state Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville narrowly avoided expulsion by a single vote.
The newly redrawn congressional map fragmented Memphis across three Republican-leaning districts, prompting longtime Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen to announce his retirement. The redistricting fundamentally altered Tennessee’s political landscape, leaving Democrats without a reliable House seat in a state where Republicans control all nine districts.
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