Justin J. Pearson
Democratic · Tennessee · 2026Running for U.S. House, TN-9 and 1 more race, Tennessee
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- End poverty and the affordability crisis with a county-by-county living wage, a doubled EITC and no grocery tax
- Deliver environmental and climate justice for a district he says has become a dumping ground for polluting corporations
- End the gun violence epidemic with national red flag orders, a ban on unserialized guns and waiting periods
Justin J. Pearson is a Memphis state representative and community organizer who made his name shutting down the Byhalia Connection Pipeline; he co-founded Memphis Community Against the Pipeline, the grassroots group MLK50 credits with ending the project through Black Southwest Memphis neighborhoods in July 2021. He represents Tennessee House District 86 and was one of the "Tennessee Three" expelled in April 2023 over a gun-violence protest on the House floor and returned to his seat days later, a national profile that let him raise over $1 million from small donors. He won the August 6 Democratic contest with 65.75% (32,092 votes) in a four-way field.
On the ballot
U.S. House, TN-9Tennessee · 2026Tennessee House District 86Tennessee · 2026 · IncumbentShelby County sample ballotSee your full ballot
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
Profile facts follow official election office filings and the sources cited in each biography. Roster last verified October 15, 2026. Official sources are the final word on who appears on your ballot.
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