Justin Pearson, a state lawmaker from District 86 and member of the group known as the "Tennessee Three," won the Democratic primary on Thursday, August 6th, 2026, in Tennessee's newly redrawn 9th Congressional District. This district was reshaped after redistricting split the Memphis-area district, which had previously been a reliably Democratic seat in an otherwise Republican-leaning state.

Pearson gained national attention in 2023 when he and two other lawmakers, collectively called the "Tennessee Three," participated in a gun-control protest on the Tennessee state House floor following the Covenant School shooting in Nashville that tragically killed three young children and three adults.

The Memphis-area lawmaker entered the primary with the backing of prominent progressive Democrats known as "the Squad," including Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, and Summer Lee, who campaigned alongside him in Memphis last month.

Pearson will face a Republican nominee in the November general election. He has raised millions of dollars throughout his campaign, significantly outpacing his Democratic opponents.

Other candidates in the Democratic primary included London Lamar (District 33), community activist Marion LaTroy Alexandria-Williams, and attorney Jim Torino.

A third Democrat, Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, reportedly avoided expulsion by a single vote, according to local media.

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Image Caption

Steve Cohen (D-TN) questions Special Counsel Jack Smith during a House Judiciary Committee hearing at the Rayburn House Office Building on January 22, 2026. (Al Drago/Getty Images)