Democrat Memphis area State Representative Justin Pearson, who gained national attention as part of the “Tennessee Three” Democrat House members removed from the House after protesting on the House floor in violation of Chamber rules, is challenging longtime Rep. Steve Cohen in the 2026 August Democratic primary.
Pearson, who was later reinstated to his house seat by the Shelby County commission and reelected last year, announced his plans early Wednesday morning.
After growing up in Memphis and attending prestigious Bowdoin College in Maine, Pearson began his political career as a community organizer. His work opposing the construction of an oil pipeline through a historically Black neighborhood in Memphis led to a successful run for the Tennessee State House in a 2023 special election. Pearson has been mocked by many conservatives for changing his accent, depending on which audience he is speaking to.
Soon after his election, Nashville’s Covenant School shooting occurred. That led Pearson and Representatives Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson to lead protests in the Tennessee State House, which ultimately resulted in their expulsion.
In the weeks following their removal, Pearson and Jones, who also had a background in community activism in Nashville, capitalized on their newfound attention with multiple TV appearances and fundraising appeals. Pearson was reappointed to the state House by the Shelby County Commission a week after his expulsion and subsequently reelected. Johnson and Jones were also quickly reappointed to their seats.
Cohen, 76, began his career in the Tennessee State Senate in the 1980s. He served for over two decades before his successful run for the 9th Congressional District in 2006. He’s a reliable Democratic and liberal vote in the House, but with few, if any, actual legislative accomplishments.
Cohen supports abortion rights, voted for the Affordable Care Act (Commonly known as Obamacare), pushed for the legalization of marijuana, and voted to impeach Donald Trump twice during the president’s first term.
Cohen has faced several primary challenges in the past. As a white liberal representing a majority black district, he would appear vulnerable. But typically, several black candidates challenge him at the same time and divide the vote in the black community, thereby allowing him to slip back into office. If Pearson can avoid that same situation, he has an excellent chance of unseating Cohen.
Regardless of who wins the primary, the 9th Congressional District is solidly Democratic. It is composed of most of Shelby County and portions of Tipton County and was designated a majority-minority district in 1980. Black representatives held it — Harold Ford Sr. and Harold Ford Jr. — until Ford Jr. ran for U.S. Senate in 2006, and Cohen was elected. He has held the seat ever since.
The primary election will be held in August 2026, and the general election will be in November 2026.
Steve Gill is editor and publisher of TriStar Daily.
