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Justin Pearson

Justin J. Pearson (born January 7, 1995) is an American politician and activist serving as a Democratic member of the Tennessee House of Representatives for the 86th District, encompassing parts of Memphis in Shelby County, since his initial election in January 2023. A graduate of Bowdoin College with degrees in government and legal studies and education, Pearson entered politics after years of community organizing, including co-founding the Memphis Community Against Pollution to challenge industrial projects like the Byhalia Pipeline on environmental grounds. Pearson attracted widespread attention in April 2023 as one of the so-called "," when the Republican-controlled expelled him and fellow Democrat for joining a disruptive on the chamber floor—complete with chants and signage—calling for legislation shortly after the Covenant School shooting in Nashville that killed six people; the expulsions invoked against during session, marking the first such actions since 1866, though a third Democrat involved was not expelled. The Shelby County Board of Commissioners swiftly reappointed Pearson to his seat pending a special , which he won handily, securing his return amid debates over legislative decorum versus free speech in state assemblies. In the , he has prioritized bills addressing and environmental protections, earning awards such as the 2024 Truman Center recognition for moral courage in public service; on October 8, 2025, he launched a for the U.S. seat in Tennessee's 9th , mounting a Democratic against longtime Steve Cohen.

Early life and education

Childhood in Memphis

Justin J. Pearson was born in , to teenage parents from the Westwood neighborhood, a predominantly area characterized by working-class single-family homes and economic hardship. As the fourth of five sons to Kimberly Owens-Pearson, a teacher, and , a , he grew up in a family his parents described as financially poor yet spiritually rich. Pearson's early years exposed him to persistent and environmental stressors in South Memphis, including proximity to industrial zones like Boxtown, where from factories and emissions contributed to community health burdens such as elevated cancer rates—conditions that affected his family, including the loss of both grandmothers. These local realities, amid broader disparities in resources and , instilled an initial recognition of systemic inequities without formal organizing at the time. He attended Mitchell High School in the Westwood area, graduating as . There, Pearson encountered educational inequities, including a lack of take-home textbooks, prompting him to speak at a Memphis City Schools board meeting and secure a district-wide policy change to provide them. This episode underscored funding gaps in public schooling for under-resourced communities.

Formal education and early influences

Pearson first engaged in public advocacy during his high school years, testifying at age 15 before the board on matters related to , which represented an early demonstration of his interest in civic participation. He pursued at , a liberal arts institution in , where he majored in government and legal studies as well as education. Pearson graduated from Bowdoin in 2017, having distinguished himself through involvement in student government and civic-oriented activities that honed his focus on and . Bowdoin's curriculum exposed Pearson to interdisciplinary studies in , , and historical movements, including civil rights narratives and foundational principles of , which aligned with the college's emphasis on and societal responsibility. These academic influences, combined with his pre-college experiences, shaped his intellectual development toward examining systemic inequities through a lens of policy reform and community impact, prior to his involvement in structured organizing efforts.

Pre-political activism

Community organizing and nonprofit work

Pearson co-founded the nonprofit organization Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP), originally named Memphis Community Against the Pipeline, in 2020 upon returning to Memphis during the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as its president and leading grassroots efforts to mobilize residents in Southwest Memphis. The organization targeted empowerment of predominantly low-income, majority-Black communities along the Mississippi River, where economic challenges compounded vulnerabilities to local environmental threats, through community education, advocacy, and collective action on quality-of-life issues. As a community organizer, Pearson emphasized direct-action tactics, including public protests and marches against industrial operations contributing to air and degradation in the area, which encompasses neighborhoods later represented by District 86. These efforts fostered heightened resident awareness and participation, drawing media attention to longstanding disparities in exposure borne by economically disadvantaged groups, though they achieved limited immediate policy reforms, with regulatory responses often lagging behind mobilization. MCAP's work under Pearson's leadership built a network of local advocates, focusing on tangible rather than solely institutional , which contributed to sustained capacity but faced challenges from entrenched industrial interests and uneven enforcement of existing environmental standards. Outcomes included increased public scrutiny of corporate practices in the region, yet persistent economic pressures, such as job dependencies on polluting industries, constrained broader systemic shifts.

Environmental and social justice campaigns

Pearson co-founded the grassroots organization Memphis Community Against the Pipeline (later renamed Memphis Community Against Pollution) in October 2020 to oppose the Byhalia Connection Pipeline, a proposed 44-mile crude oil conduit intended to transport up to 630,000 barrels per day from through South to . The project drew scrutiny for its route adjacent to predominantly neighborhoods and over the Memphis Sand , which supplies to over 1 million residents in the region; opponents, including Pearson, highlighted risks of spills and leaks exacerbating existing pollution burdens in low-income areas already burdened by industrial facilities. Through rallies, petitions gathering thousands of signatures, and coordination with national groups like the , the campaign secured temporary injunctions and regulatory delays, pressuring to abandon the project entirely on July 2, 2021, citing market conditions and landowner opposition. This outcome represented a measurable victory in averting potential environmental hazards, though independent analyses noted no subsequent decline in local groundwater contamination incidents attributable to the halt, as baseline industrial emissions persisted. In framing the pipeline fight, Pearson emphasized dimensions, arguing that corporate decisions disproportionately endangered communities with higher and cancer rates linked to proximity to refineries and highways, per EPA mapping data. He critiqued governance for yielding to out-of-state energy firms amid local rates exceeding 25% in affected zip codes, advocating instead for community-led to counter corporate leverage in permitting processes. These efforts aligned with broader pre-election organizing against inequities, but empirical evaluations, such as those from local health departments, showed no immediate reductions or job alternatives materializing from the campaign, with South unemployment hovering around 10% post-2021. Pearson's early activism also included awareness-raising on in , where non-legislative initiatives focused on community forums and youth programs amid annual counts surpassing 250, predominantly firearm-related, from 2016 to 2019. Without policy authority, these pre-2020 endeavors yielded awareness metrics like increased event attendance but correlated with no verifiable dip in crime rates, as data indicated a 20% rise in shootings between 2018 and 2020 despite such pushes. Critics of efficacy pointed to causal factors like socioeconomic drivers—poverty and family disruption—outweighing advocacy alone, with studies from the underscoring limited impact of non-enforcement interventions on entrenched urban violence patterns.

Entry into politics

2020 special election

The vacancy in 86 arose following the death of Democratic incumbent Barbara Cooper on October 25, 2022, after she had won re-election posthumously in the , as her name remained on the . A special Democratic was scheduled for January 24, 2023, to select a nominee for the Democratic-leaning district in Shelby County, encompassing parts of . Pearson, then 27, emerged victorious in the primary, defeating three opponents—Derrick Dunigan, Michael McMackin, and Sequana Garraway—with 2,979 votes to their combined total, securing approximately 75% of the vote amid low turnout of under 5%. His campaign highlighted priorities such as expanding , reforming policing practices, and tackling economic inequities, which appealed to voters grappling with Memphis's elevated rates—over 2,000 incidents annually—and persistent levels exceeding 25% in the district. Following the primary win, the Shelby County Commission appointed Pearson to serve temporarily until a special , which he won unopposed on , 2023, with 443 votes, officially entering the as its youngest member at the time. This victory marked Pearson's transition from activism to elected office in a reliably voting Democratic by margins exceeding 80% in recent cycles.

Initial legislative priorities

Pearson's initial legislative agenda emphasized environmental safeguards and housing equity, informed by his prior activism against pipelines threatening ' aquifer. He advocated for preserving local governments' powers to regulate infrastructure, opposing HB 2741/SB 2456, which curtailed such authority and was enacted in May 2022, enabling easier approvals despite risks to sources. These efforts largely failed amid procedural blocks in the Republican-controlled , which held a 75-24 in the 112th (2021-2022). On tenant rights, Pearson sponsored and supported measures to bolster renter protections, including enhanced enforcement against substandard housing conditions, but these encountered resistance and did not advance in the GOP-dominated committees. He aligned with Democratic pushes for expansion under the , voting in favor of related proposals to extend coverage to over 200,000 uninsured Tennesseans, yet opposition prevented passage, maintaining the state's non-expansion status. Overall, Pearson's sponsored bills achieved minimal success, with most stalling due to divides and lacking bipartisan ; fewer than 10% progressed beyond , reflecting broader challenges for minority-party initiatives in the chamber. Critics, including GOP members, argued this pattern prioritized ideological statements over pragmatic compromises, while supporters viewed it as principled advocacy in a environment. Early floor debates revealed tensions with leadership over procedural adherence, setting a for subsequent conflicts.

Tenure in the Tennessee House of Representatives

Key legislative proposals and votes

Pearson sponsored multiple bills addressing prevention, including HB 1390 in the 2025 session, which sought to authorize courts to issue extreme risk protection orders against individuals deemed a significant danger by clear and convincing evidence. Following the March 27, 2023, Covenant School shooting, he introduced over a dozen related measures, such as proposals to repeal permitless carry laws, many of which stalled in committee or failed amid the Republican-controlled House. These efforts unfolded against a backdrop of escalating urban in his district, where recorded 301 homicides in 2022, continuing a post-2020 surge that outpaced national trends. In housing policy, Pearson led HB 2337 during the 2023-2024 session, amending state code to require alignment of choice payment standards with federal maximums, aiming to enhance affordability incentives. The failed to complete legislative action, though Pearson secured partial successes through targeted local appropriations for initiatives tied to in polluted areas. Critics argued such approaches overlooked supply-side market reforms, as faced ongoing shortages without of or incentives for new construction. Pearson's voting record demonstrated near-complete alignment with Democratic caucus positions, exceeding 95% party unity on tracked issues per nonpartisan analyses. He opposed expansions of , including HB 6004's universal voucher program passed 54-43 in January 2025, despite stagnant proficiency metrics in District 86's Shelby County schools, where under 25% of students met or exceeded state TCAP standards in math and reading as of 2025. Similarly, he voted against GOP-backed mandates for students (HB 2882) and permissions for school staff (SB 1325), prioritizing stricter controls over incremental measures.

District 86 representation and re-elections

Pearson secured re-election to represent District 86 in special elections following his 2023 expulsion, winning the August 2023 general with approximately 93% of the vote against challenger Dexter White, receiving 1,930 votes to White's 136. He prevailed in the preceding June 2023 Democratic primary with over 94% against David Page amid low turnout across 19 precincts. In the November 2024 , Pearson easily retained the seat against Jeff Johnston, reflecting the district's status as a Democratic stronghold in southwest . Voter turnout in these contests remained low, consistent with patterns in off-year and special elections in urban Shelby County precincts. During his tenure, Pearson emphasized District 86's proximity to the , advocating for measures addressing flooding risks and industrial affecting communities like Boxtown and Smokey City. He co-founded Memphis Community Against in 2020 to oppose the Byhalia Pipeline, citing threats to and air quality in the district's environmental hotspots. In 2025, Pearson criticized the xAI supercomputer facility's potential emissions, urging local officials to enforce air quality standards and highlighting from nitrogen oxides over southwest . These efforts aligned with resident concerns over disproportionate burdens in majority-Black neighborhoods, though tangible improvements like enhanced flood walls remained limited. Constituent outcomes showed mixed results, with some residents praising Pearson's elevation of local amid the district's vulnerability to riverine hazards, while others contended his national media engagements overshadowed district-specific deliverables. Poverty rates persisted at 26.3%, nearly double Tennessee's statewide 13.8%, with critics attributing stagnation to insufficient emphasis on job creation and economic initiatives. Local conservatives, including advocates, faulted Pearson for prioritizing opposition to developments like xAI—which promised thousands of jobs—over fostering growth to combat entrenched economic challenges, viewing such stances as favoring at the expense of practical advancement.

Major controversies

2023 House floor protest and expulsion

On April 3, 2023, following the March 27 at The Covenant School in Nashville, which killed six people including three children, Tennessee House Representatives (D-Memphis), (D-Nashville), and Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) participated in a during House proceedings. The lawmakers approached the House podium, displayed signs reading "Honor Them" and "Ban Assault Weapons," and led chants such as "Power to the people" and "No more silence" using a bullhorn, amid noise from gallery protesters, which halted legislative business for approximately 15 minutes. This action violated Tennessee House rules prohibiting demonstrations and disruptions on the chamber floor, as outlined in resolutions citing unparliamentary conduct that undermined orderly proceedings. Republican House members, holding a , introduced expulsion resolutions on April 4, arguing the protest constituted a grave breach of decorum, prevented voting on bills, and followed prior warnings to the Democrats to cease disruptions; they invoked the rarely used expulsion power under Constitution Article II, Section 11, which requires a two-thirds vote (66 of 99 members) for removal due to disorderly behavior. On April 6, the House voted 72-25 to expel Jones and 69-26 to expel Pearson, meeting the threshold, while the vote against fell short at 65-27. Proponents emphasized historical precedents for enforcing floor order, such as censures for lesser infractions, and rejected claims of targeting speech, noting the action addressed procedural violations rather than policy disagreement. Democrats and critics countered that the expulsions represented an unprecedented overreach to silence minority dissent on prevention, especially in response to a local tragedy claiming six lives, and highlighted the infrequency of expulsions—none in since for similar conduct. They argued the protest was symbolic advocacy akin to permitted moments of silence, not warranting removal, and pointed to the narrow failure to expel as evidence of selective enforcement. Pearson was reinstated on April 12, 2023, when the Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted 7-0 to appoint him temporarily to his District 86 seat, a procedural step under state law allowing local bodies to fill vacancies pending a special election. He won the subsequent special election on August 3, 2023, defeating challenger by 72%-28%. The episode yielded no immediate gun policy reforms in , which maintained permissive carry laws; statewide firearm deaths reached a record 1,588 in 2023, with the death rate rising 7% from 1,480 in 2022.

2025 confrontation with Rep. Andrew Farmer

On March 26, 2025, during a House Criminal Justice Subcommittee hearing, Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) engaged in a heated confrontation with Rep. (R-Sevierville) while debating Pearson's proposed legislation aimed at addressing , including potential restrictions on permitless carry. Farmer referenced Pearson's recent absences from legislative sessions, which stemmed from the December 2024 gun suicide of Pearson's brother, prompting Pearson to accuse Farmer of crossing personal boundaries by invoking family tragedy in policy debate. Pearson approached Farmer after the bill's discussion, pointing his finger in Farmer's face and stating, "Don't you ever come after me or my family," which halted the hearing and required intervention by other lawmakers to separate them before a recess was called. The exchange underscored stark differences, with Pearson advocating for measures to curb access amid Tennessee's 2021 expansion of laws, while Farmer defended broader Second Amendment protections and criticized inconsistent attendance in legislative proceedings. Republican House leadership initiated a review of the incident, focusing on decorum violations, but ultimately imposed no formal sanctions on either lawmaker, citing the absence of physical altercation or threats. described his comments as pertaining strictly to legislative participation rather than personal grief, while Pearson portrayed the remarks as an inappropriate politicization of loss, though critics within the GOP viewed Pearson's response as unnecessarily escalatory rhetoric that heightened chamber tensions without fostering substantive policy discourse. The episode reflected the supermajority control's tolerance for robust debate but intolerance for procedural disruptions, occurring against a backdrop of ongoing legislative pushes for gun restrictions by minority Democrats.

2026 congressional campaign

Announcement and rationale

On October 8, 2025, state representative Justin Pearson announced his candidacy for the Democratic primary in , launching a challenge against incumbent U.S. representative Steve Cohen. At age 30, Pearson framed the bid as a pursuit of generational change, arguing that significant shifts in the district and national context over the past four decades necessitated fresh leadership beyond long-serving incumbents. He positioned himself as a native with working-class roots who had directly experienced local struggles, extending his state-level —including his role in the 2023 House floor protest against —into a congressional platform emphasizing bold, community-grounded representation. Pearson's rationale critiqued patterns of complacency in extended tenures like Cohen's, which began in , highlighting contrasts between active constituent engagement and institutional routines. Progressive allies, such as supporting his campaign, echoed this by accusing Cohen of absenteeism from community events and taking incumbency for granted. The announcement drew scrutiny for potential intra-party division in a reliably Democratic district facing Republican opportunities, with Cohen's prior 71% reelection in 2024 underscoring his favored position amid the youth-versus-experience dynamic.

Positions and challengers

Pearson's campaign strategy centers on portraying himself as a more assertive progressive alternative to , particularly critiquing the incumbent's record on . He has accused the Netanyahu government of committing in and advocated withholding U.S. military funding in favor of a "diplomacy-first" approach, arguing against sending "billions in bombs overseas" amid domestic . This stance diverges sharply from Cohen's rejection of allegations, his support for 's security against threats from and , and his opposition to curtailing weapon sales while endorsing to . On local development in , Pearson prioritizes community-driven initiatives like and opposes multibillion-dollar pipeline projects perceived as environmentally and economically harmful to residents. As the primary challenger to , who has represented Tennessee's 9th since , Pearson encounters resistance from Democratic establishment figures aligned with the incumbent's long tenure and broad coalitions among urban Black voters and rural constituents. No other major Democratic challengers have emerged as of October 2025, positioning the race as a direct ideological and generational contest. Pearson's fundraising leverages his national profile from the 2023 "" events, drawing grassroots and progressive support—including a $1 million pledge from groups like and Leaders We Deserve—while eschewing corporate money that Cohen has accepted in the millions. , however, maintains a financial edge with approximately $1.8 million in cash on hand. The challenge reflects a broader pattern of insurgents testing Democratic incumbents amid calls for generational turnover, yet it carries risks of alienating moderate voters in a district blending Memphis's urban core with rural areas, where Cohen's incumbency fosters loyalty. Empirical data underscores the hurdles: post-World War II incumbents have won reelection, including primaries, in over 98% of cases, with primary defeats rare and often tied to scandals rather than ideological shifts. A protracted primary could strain resources or unify Republicans in the general election, though the district's strong Democratic lean—evidenced by Cohen's consistent 70%+ victories—limits broader electoral threats.

Political positions and ideology

Gun policy and public safety

Pearson has consistently advocated for enhanced gun restrictions, including support for assault weapons bans, red-flag laws (extreme risk protection orders), and universal background checks on purchases, measures he and fellow members discussed with President Biden following the Covenant School shooting. The March 27, 2023, incident in Nashville, where a 28-year-old former student fatally shot three children and three adults using legally purchased semiautomatic rifles, prompted Pearson's floor protest demanding such reforms. He has introduced more than a dozen bills during his tenure and, in March 2025, proposed legislation to repeal Tennessee's 2021 law—arguing it endangers public safety, including after his brother's 2024 by . These positions contrast with statewide trends post-permitless carry enactment: FBI data indicate Tennessee's rate fell nearly 7.6% from 2020 levels through 2023, remaining above the national average but declining amid expanded carry rights. Pearson's district in exemplifies persistent challenges, recording 397 homicides in 2023—one of the highest rates among major U.S. cities—despite his advocacy, with critics noting his focus on state-level protests over bolstering local enforcement, prosecution, and addressing root causes like family breakdown and gang involvement that drive urban . Republican legislators in Tennessee, who control the General Assembly, maintain that measures like assault weapons bans or red-flag laws infringe on Second Amendment protections without demonstrable impact on criminal gun use, as felons and prohibited persons acquire firearms through illegal channels regardless of legal restrictions. They prioritize funding, , and prosecuting existing violations over new prohibitions, arguing from states with stricter laws shows no causal reduction in overall violence. Pearson emphasizes mass shootings as justification, yet CDC statistics reveal that suicides comprised 58% of the approximately 47,000 U.S. gun deaths in , with the remainder dominated by interpersonal homicides in criminal disputes rather than public rampages addressable by his proposed policies.

Economic and environmental issues

Pearson advocates for expanded government-led anti-poverty initiatives and programs to combat economic disparities in , where the city's rate was 21.4% in 2023, with at 32.7%. In a September 2025 speech, he called for eradication through policy measures rather than reliance on expansions, framing as a structural failure addressable via public investment and redistribution. His campaign platform emphasizes alleviation alongside development, critiquing market-driven approaches for failing low-income communities in districts like his own. Such positions align with emphases on systemic inequities, though causal attributions to overlook empirical factors like and labor force participation rates, which studies link more directly to sustained urban than market structures alone. Government-subsidized housing efforts, which Pearson supports, have shown mixed outcomes; while providing short-term relief, they often correlate with higher long-term costs and without addressing root supply constraints from and permitting delays. Economic analyses indicate that over-reliance on public programs can crowd out innovation, with evidence from U.S. cities demonstrating that streamlined regulations foster greater and downward pressure on costs compared to intervention-heavy models. On environmental matters, Pearson prioritizes in pollution-impacted areas, co-founding Against Pollution in 2020 to oppose industrial threats in southwest . He led grassroots resistance to the Byhalia crude oil pipeline, a 49-mile project slated to carry 360,000 barrels daily near the , which risked spills and contamination in predominantly neighborhoods; developer Plains All American canceled it on July 2, 2021, citing regulatory and pressures. This victory highlighted mobilization's role in blocking perceived environmental racism, yet subsequent data shows ongoing pollution burdens in the region, including elevated and water contaminants, indicating that localized oppositions yield tactical wins but limited broader regulatory reforms. Pearson's push for stricter pollution controls aligns with demands for equity in enforcement, but overlooks potential trade-offs; deregulation in energy sectors has historically boosted job growth, with pipeline projects generating thousands of construction positions and supporting supply chain activity, per industry assessments, while overregulation correlates with investment flight and higher energy costs that disproportionately affect low-income households. Empirical reviews confirm that excessive environmental regulatory burdens reduce capital inflows and economic output, potentially exacerbating the poverty Pearson seeks to alleviate by constraining industrial development in areas like Memphis.

Personal life

Family and relationships

Pearson married Oceana R. Gilliam in August 2025 following an engagement announced earlier. The couple met in 2016 while both were students at . Gilliam works as a senior program manager for the Center for Court Innovation in . Pearson maintains a private family life despite his public role, with no publicly available details on children. He resides in , where he has longstanding family roots. Pearson was raised by his parents, Reverend Jason Pearson, a minister, and Kimberly Owens, in after an earlier period in . His family background emphasized community involvement from a young age, shaping early personal values without public elaboration on relational dynamics.

Religious and philosophical views

Justin J. Pearson was raised in a Christian household as the son of a Disciples of Christ , growing up immersed in the traditions of Mississippi Boulevard in . His early exposure to preaching and oratory within environments shaped his public speaking style and commitment to , which he frequently frames through biblical and prophetic lenses. Pearson identifies as a devout Christian, integrating into his by drawing parallels to historical figures like , whom he views as exemplars of prophetic Black faith leadership. He has delivered guest sermons, such as at Church of the River in on Sunday, April 9, 2023, where he emphasized themes of and communal resilience, explicitly distinguishing his role from that of Jesus Christ while invoking Christian hope amid political adversity. Pearson ties his advocacy for and reforms to Christian imperatives of love and equity, arguing that true demands action against systemic injustices rather than passive observance. No public statements indicate adherence to specific philosophical schools beyond this faith-informed worldview emphasizing justice rooted in love and multiracial .

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