On October 8, 2025, Memphis State Representative Justin J. Pearson, a rising star in Tennessee politics, officially declared his intention to challenge longtime U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen in the Democratic primary for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District. The announcement signals the start of what is already shaping up to be a closely watched contest between two dramatically different generations and visions for Memphis and its surrounding communities.
Pearson, 30, made his campaign announcement under a picnic shelter at Alonzo Weaver Park, just steps from Mitchell High School—the very place where, as a teenager, he first pressed the school board for new textbooks. Faith and community were central themes in his speech. "It’s not enough to just stop with the votes that you’re casting," Pearson said, according to Tennessee Lookout. "You’ve got to be a voice of your constituents and of your people, which is why … you’ll still see me at County Commission, and City Council, and school board meetings, and Memphis Light, Gas and Water meetings, because I’m a resident of this community. I want to see this place that I love improve on every level."
The 9th Congressional District, which covers most of Shelby County—including the city of Memphis—and parts of Tipton County, is considered a safe Democratic seat. Political analysts and local media alike agree that the winner of the August 6, 2026, Democratic primary is almost certain to claim victory in the general election that November. This has made the upcoming primary a focal point for both local and national observers.
Pearson’s rise has been swift and, at times, dramatic. He first gained recognition as a community organizer, co-founding Memphis Community Against Pollution (formerly Memphis Community Against the Pipeline) to oppose the Byhalia oil pipeline—a project that threatened historically Black neighborhoods in southwest Memphis. The pipeline’s eventual cancellation was seen as a major grassroots victory, and Pearson parlayed that momentum into a successful run for the Tennessee House in a 2023 special election.
Just weeks into his term, tragedy struck when a shooting at Nashville’s Covenant School left six dead. Pearson, alongside Nashville Democrat Justin Jones, led impassioned protests on the House floor demanding stricter gun laws. Their actions, joined by Knoxville’s Rep. Gloria Johnson, resulted in Pearson and Jones being expelled by the Republican majority—a move that drew national headlines and outrage. The trio, soon dubbed the "Tennessee Three," quickly became symbols of resistance. Pearson and Jones were reappointed to their seats, and both won special elections to retain them.
Pearson’s activism and visibility only grew after his expulsion, with appearances on national television and a meeting with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. As Roll Call reported, Pearson’s campaign now enjoys the backing of progressive groups like Justice Democrats, known for supporting the likes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Leaders We Deserve, which has pledged $1 million to support his bid. David Hogg, co-founder of Leaders We Deserve and a former Democratic National Committee vice chair, said in a statement, "Memphis deserves a next-generation leader like Justin — a tested fighter who will deliver opportunity, affordability, safety, and justice to his constituents."
Pearson’s campaign priorities are ambitious and wide-ranging. According to MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, he aims to fight for stronger labor rights and livable wages, expand affordable housing, push for federal investments to combat poverty and crime, seek gun control legislation, and work toward health care equity—including expanded Medicare access and veterans’ support. "Now is the time for us to fight for our families, for our values, for our future," Pearson told MLK50. "More than ever, we are seeing the destruction of our democracy, lack of care and concern for people in our communities, and we need a voice speaking up for justice, speaking up for fairness, equality and the future that we want to live into."
Pearson has not hesitated to draw sharp contrasts with Cohen, 76, who has represented the district since 2006 and previously served more than two decades in the Tennessee State Senate. Cohen, an attorney, has built a record as a consistent liberal vote—supporting abortion rights, the Affordable Care Act, marijuana legalization, and twice voting to impeach Donald Trump. He has also steered federal funds toward Memphis for public transit projects and the renovation of the historic Melrose High School, chaired hearings on voting rights and the Equal Rights Amendment, and sponsored police reform bills incorporated into the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
Despite these achievements, Pearson argues that Cohen is out of touch with the daily struggles of Memphians. "We have extraordinary people (in Memphis), but we have been denied economic opportunity, which has led to economic strangulation, poverty, and the ramification of that has been crime," Pearson said to MLK50. "All of these are interconnected problems that we do not have an advocate for in Congress." He added, "I don’t have a mega-mansion in Midtown or a condo in Washington, D.C., right? Like that’s not my story. And the truth of the matter is that’s not the story of most Memphians. It might be the story of Steve Cohen, but that’s not the story of most Memphians. And that lack of proximity from the problems and from the pain is one of the reasons I think we are not getting the best representation possible to stand up, speak up and to fight for us."
Cohen, for his part, has responded with characteristic confidence, emphasizing his experience and track record. On October 7, 2025, he posted on Facebook, "An ambitious young candidate has said he plans to announce he is running for the House of Representatives in Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District. With your continued support, we will turn back this challenge in the Democratic Primary and go on to work with the incoming Democratic House Majority to put a stop to this runaway administration. 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." He later told Roll Call, "I’ve been challenged by a mayor who served for 18 years and several bright up-and-comers who were predicted to be the next big thing. None of my primary challengers has ever won a single precinct. I have earned — and received — broad support in our community that transcends race, age, and neighborhood. I look forward to doing so again."
Cohen’s campaign, as of June 2025, reported $1.8 million in the bank, setting the stage for what could be an expensive and hard-fought primary battle. Notably, Cohen is the only white House member representing a majority-Black district, and while he has easily dispatched several high-profile Black challengers in the past, none have entered the race with the national profile or activist credentials that Pearson now brings.
For Pearson, the journey from the son of teenage parents in southwest Memphis to the halls of the Tennessee Capitol and now the national stage has always been about proximity to the community’s struggles. As he put it to MLK50, "I am a regular person seeking to serve the hardest working people I know in this city, and I am proximate to the pain and wanting people to know that they’ve got somebody, because I always wanted to have somebody growing up."
With the Democratic Party facing generational shifts and debates over its future direction, the Cohen-Pearson contest is more than just a local race—it’s a microcosm of larger national trends. As Memphis prepares for a pivotal primary next August, voters will have to choose between the steady hand of experience and the urgent call for change from a new generation.
