Tennessee State Rep. Justin Pearson, who was famously ousted from the chamber floor has announced a bid for Congress—running against Steve Cohen, a 76-year-old Democrat who Pearson once interned for.
When launching his campaign, Pearson said, “For too long, our district has been told to ‘keep going’ with the same leadership and the same outcomes.”
Not too far from where he grew up, Pearson, 30, held a press conference in a Memphis park to announce his candidacy.
“I am not here because I come from privilege. I want you to believe not just in me, but believe in us.”
In 2023, Pearson and two others became known as the Tennessee Three when he, state Rep. Justin Jones, and state Rep. Gloria Johnson all protested gun violence on the state House floor. This was after a tragic shooting at a school in Nashville left three children and three adults dead.
Their efforts made national headlines—including ESSENCE. Pearson and Jones were briefly expelled from Legislature before being reinstated.
During the press conference, Pearson said that he would not focus on Cohen’s age but would center on his ability to get things done.
Recently, Donald Trump sent federal agents to Memphis, a city that is primarily Black—with additional plans to send the National Guard. As to a potential presence of the Guard in Memphis, the young politician questioned his oppenent’s ability to galvanize and protect the people.
“This is about us being able to fight for our families, for our values, for our future, in this moment in time,” Pearson said in an interview.
Cohen expressed his disappointment in Pearson’s candidacy.
“He’s not the person I thought he was,” he said. “We need somebody to represent Memphis who knows how to do things and the legislature and the congress knows the business, knows the people, and can stand up and get things done and I’m that person,” he added.
The congressman’s experience—having won his primary election in 2004, and then running successfully ever since, has a lot to do with the things he’s been able to accomplish while in office.
Cohen won his initial election with 74 percent of the vote and is considered a liberal candidate. When Pearson was ejected from the House after the protest, Cohen went on record to express his support for his former intern.
Tuesday, Cohen told the press, “He’s (Pearson) got a lot of talent and I’ve supported him. But he’s got a lot of room to grow.”
He reminded his supporters that experience is essential during the current administration via a Facebook post written almost immediately after Pearson announced his candidacy.
“With a shutdown, an out-of-control, power-grabbing executive, and ICE and the National Guard on the streets of Memphis, this is a time for the experience and institutional knowledge that I bring to the table.”
The coveted congressional seat has already gotten national attention and Pearson has received high-pprofile endorsements. Justice Democrats who famously endorsed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has released a public statement.
“The communities and rising young leadership Justin represents are on the frontlines of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s war on working families. They are showing the country like so many other major cities under attack what it means to truly come together to protect one another, not roll over, and fight back.”
The organization is calling Pearson a True Fighter, which included the above statement in addition to a repost on X of his campaign video.
“Our median income in 2024 was only 65% of the national average,” Pearson said during his campaign speech. “Poverty persists across neighborhoods and we’ve seen significantly less federal investment compared to other communities in Tennessee.”