Andy Spears: Justin Pearson Has a Good Chance at Winning a Tennessee House Seat

At Trump’s urging, Tennessee lawmakers gerrymandered the state to create more districts likely to elect Republicans. One of those seats was created by dividing Memphis and spreading its voters across rural districts. A likely casualty was Justin Pearson, who expected to be elected to represent Memphis.

But Andy Spears thinks that Pearson has a good chance of winning, despite the gerrymander. Pearson was one of two Black legislators expelled in 2023 by the Republican super-majority in the state legislature for their protest against the body’s refusal to enact gun control after a shooting of three students and three teachers at the Covenant School in Nashville.

In an unexpected twist in the campaign, Pearson’s opponent, State Senator Brent Taylor admitted sending nude photos (“dick pics”) to women he didn’t know. Taylor called it a “youthful indiscretion” but he last did it when he was 53. He is now 58. ProPublica reported tha Brent Taylor’s agenda in the legislature was devoted to undermining the rights of blacks.

Who will voters choose: the energetic young black man or the aging white guy who likes to expose himself?

Veteran Tennessee journalist Andy Spears writes:

After the Tennessee General Assembly’s GOP Supermajority attempted to dilute the power of Memphis voters by carving the city up into three different congressional districts, State Rep. Justin Pearson delivered a powerful speech on the House floor. 

He closed with these words, “No matter what you do, no matter how much you try and break us and make us bend and make us quit, we will still be here.”

At the time, Pearson was already a candidate for Congress in the 9th District – now, with newly drawn lines, that district includes 15 mostly rural counties. 

Pearson stayed in the race, winning the Democratic primary comfortably.

With just under two weeks before the November 3rd election, I spoke to Pearson about his campaign and why he thinks he can win. From the start, it was clear Pearson was in motion – whether in a car or simply moving around a campaign office – he exuded an energy felt over the phone. Though his vocal cords offered evidence of relentless use, his answers to questions were crisp and focused. 

He mentioned on several occasions that his opponent, State Senator Brent Taylor, was “Trump-endorsed.” He also noted that Taylor backs the Trump policies that are making life more challenging for residents of the 9th District. 

Our conversation covered three issues: Affordability, Healthcare, and Data Centers.

Affordability

Pearson said the people he meets in the 9th District are “devastated” by the high prices of everything from “gas to groceries to healthcare.”

He laid responsibility for the spike in costs squarely at the feet of Donald Trump. Specifically, Pearson called out the war in Iran as a key driver of price increases. Pearson noted that his opponent continues to support Trump policies, like the war and tariffs, and these same policies are hurting Tennessee families. 

To address affordability, Pearson said America needs to find a way to end the war in Iran as soon as possible. He also said he supports raising taxes on billionaires and raising the minimum wage. The federal minimum wage last increased in 2009 and remains at $7.25. 

Health Care

When asked about Tennessee having the unenviable distinction of being a national leader in medical bankruptcy, Pearson said this was due in part to the state’s failure to expand Medicaid and provide insurance to more Tennesseans. Additionally, Trump Administration policies (ending ACA subsidies, for example) – which Taylor supports – have made insurance unaffordable for many families. 

Pearson said in Congress he would support expanding access to coverage for all Americans by way of a Medicare for All plan. 

He also said there should be a national effort to clear medical debt – by buying and cancelling it. The City of Memphis recently provided $17 million in medical debt relief to some 12,000 residents. Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky used surplus state funds to provide $250 million of medical debt relief in his state. 

Pearson said, “If we have $2 billion a day to fight a war of choice in Iran, we can afford to buy back and cancel medical debt for American families.”

Andy Beshear Takes Action to Cancel Medical Debt for Over 100,000 Kentuckians

Data Centers

Pearson has long been a leader on helping communities resist data centers. WPLN notes: 

Pearson supports a statewide moratorium on large data centers. The state lawmaker told WPLN that laws to protect land and people’s health from data centers will have to come at the federal level, given the Tennessee GOP’s alignment with business interests. He said he’s already drafting legislation.

A recent story in the New Yorker also points to Pearson’s work fighting against Elon Musk’s xAI data center:

Pearson and his brother KeShaun are the two most prominent local opponents of Elon Musk’s xAI, a subsidiary of which has developed a massive data-center complex, provocatively named Colossus, in and around South Memphis. The Pearsons’ group, Memphis Community Against Pollution, has questioned the legality of the company’s use of gas turbines at the data centers, alleging violations of the Clean Air Act and raising concerns about air quality.

At the federal level, Pearson says America needs a national moratorium on data centers so Congress can develop regulations that “protect communities and workers.” He said there’s a real danger that AI and the data centers it requires will end up making more money for billionaires while leaving the working class behind.

When asked why an undecided voter should support him, Pearson said, “I will fight for you, my Trump-endorsed opponent will protect the billionaire class.”

Pearson clearly has a record of leading successful fights. A record of persistence and resilience that gets results. 

In just over a week, we’ll know if that record will translate into earning Pearson a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.