State Rep. Justin Pearson won Tennessee’s 9th District Democratic primary on August 6, advancing to face a Republican opponent in a newly redrawn congressional district that was reshaped to eliminate Democratic voting power in Memphis. Pearson’s victory comes after the state legislature redrew the district in May 2026 to carve up the majority-Black district that Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen had represented since 2007.
The redistricting split Shelby County—home to Memphis—among three districts that extend outward into rural and suburban areas. The new 9th District now stretches roughly 200 miles east from Memphis across rural areas before reaching toward Nashville, with 71% of its voters new to the district, according to an Associated Press estimate. The redrawn seat tilts Republican, a sharp reversal from the previous district that backed Democrat Kamala Harris by 43 points in the 2024 presidential election.
Pearson, 31, gained national prominence in 2023 when he and fellow Democratic state Rep. Justin Jones were expelled from the Tennessee House for their role in a gun control protest on the House floor following a school shooting in Nashville. Both lawmakers were later reinstated after winning special elections for their state House seats.
The primary featured four candidates competing to succeed Cohen, who announced in May 2026 that he would not seek reelection after the redistricting. State Sen. London Lamar, another Democratic candidate, also ran in the primary. Pearson noted at his election night event that August 6 marked the 61st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act’s signing, drawing a direct connection between the Supreme Court’s weakening of the law and Tennessee’s redistricting decision.
“The political dilution and degradation of our rights is happening,” Pearson said, according to reporting from the Associated Press. “But we’re one step closer to Washington, D.C.”
The redistricting effort was part of a broader Republican strategy pushed by President Donald Trump. Tennessee lawmakers passed the new congressional map on May 7, 2026, during a special session called by Gov. Bill Lee. Republicans hope the redrawn districts will deliver them a sweep of all nine of Tennessee’s U.S. House seats, up from the current eight they hold. The NAACP and voting rights organizations immediately challenged the map in federal court, arguing it was enacted with discriminatory intent to silence Black voters in Memphis.
Pearson will face Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor, who won his party’s primary with Trump’s endorsement, in the general election. The race is expected to be highly competitive, as the new district’s Republican lean reflects the state’s broader political shift, but Democrats hope Pearson’s profile and organizing strength can overcome the district’s new demographics.
Sources
- Associated Press — primary election results, district composition, Pearson’s election night statement, and historical context on the Voting Rights Act anniversary
- Sun Sentinel — detailed coverage of the Tennessee primary elections, redistricting impact, and candidate profiles
- PBS NewsHour — Pearson’s background and 2023 expulsion from the Tennessee House
- Politico — Steve Cohen’s May 15, 2026 retirement announcement
- NPR — Tennessee redistricting map details and Republican strategy
- Roll Call — district composition and Democratic voting patterns in the original 9th District
