Tennessee Representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, known as the “Tennessee Three,” have reclaimed their legislative seats after being expelled for participating in a gun control protest on the House floor. The young Black lawmakers were reinstated on an interim basis by local officials and advanced through a special election to fully reclaim their positions. Both faced opponents in districts that heavily favor Democrats and easily defeated them, according to unofficial results from the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office.
Jones, who resides in Nashville, competed against Republican candidate Laura Nelson, while Pearson, from Memphis, faced independent candidate Jeff Johnston. Pearson expressed his gratitude to supporters, emphasizing the role of Black women and their organizing work in his victory.
The election took place as lawmakers prepare to return to Nashville for a special session to address potential changes to the state’s gun control laws. While Jones and Pearson’s reelection won’t significantly impact the Republican supermajority in the Legislature, they are expected to strongly oppose some of their GOP colleagues’ policies.
Both Jones and Pearson had been elected to the Statehouse last year and had been relatively under the radar until they joined fellow Democrat Rep. Gloria Johnson in a gun control protest on the House floor. The demonstration occurred shortly after a fatal shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville, where three children and three adults were killed. The lawmakers joined thousands of protesters demanding stricter firearm regulations, using a bullhorn to amplify their calls for action.
Republican lawmakers swiftly declared that their actions violated House rules and moved to expel the three colleagues, a rare move that has only occurred a few times since the Civil War. This left approximately 140,000 voters in predominantly Black districts in Nashville and Memphis without representation in the Tennessee House.
While Johnson narrowly avoided expulsion, Pearson and Jones were removed by the predominantly white GOP caucus. House Republican leaders have denied that race played a role in the expulsions, but Democrats, including Johnson, have disagreed, suggesting that her white identity was the only reason she was not expelled.
The expulsions garnered national support for the “Tennessee Three,” particularly in terms of campaign fundraising for Pearson and Jones. The two raised over $2 million combined through approximately 70,400 campaign donations from across the country. This amount far exceeds the norm for Tennessee’s Republican legislative leaders and is virtually unheard of for two freshman Democrats in a superminority.
In contrast, more than 15 Republican lawmakers contributed funds to support Jones’ Republican opponent, Laura Nelson, who raised over $34,000 for the race. Pearson’s opponent, Jeff Johnston, raised less than $400.
The special election on Thursday also had implications for two other legislative seats. In Nashville, community organizer Aftyn Behn and former Metro Councilmember Anthony Davis competed to advance to the general election for a House seat in the city’s northeastern region, which became vacant after the death of Democratic Rep. Bill Beck in June.
In eastern Tennessee, Republican Timothy Hill faced Democrat Lori Love in a general election for the Republican-leaning District 3. The seat was left vacant when former Republican Rep. Scotty Campbell resigned following findings that he had violated the Legislature’s workplace discrimination and harassment policy. Hill previously served in the state House from 2012 until 2020 and held the position of majority whip. He later ran for an open U.S. House seat in 2020 but lost in a crowded primary to current Republican U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger.
What were the reasons for Jones and Pearson being expelled from the Legislature initially and how were they able to participate in the special election?
Ly escaped expulsion, Jones and Pearson were removed from the Legislature. However, local officials reinstated them on an interim basis, allowing them to participate in the special election.
In the election, Jones competed against Republican candidate Laura Nelson, while Pearson faced independent candidate Jeff Johnston. Both lawmakers easily defeated their opponents in districts that heavily favor Democrats, according to unofficial results.
Pearson expressed his gratitude to his supporters, particularly highlighting the role of Black women and their organizing work in his victory.
The election took place as lawmakers prepared to return to Nashville for a special session on gun control laws. While Jones and Pearson’s reelection won’t significantly impact the Republican supermajority in the Legislature, they are expected to strongly oppose some GOP colleagues’ policies.
Before their involvement in the gun control protest, both Jones and Pearson had been relatively under the radar. However, their participation in the demonstration on the House floor brought them into the spotlight. The protest occurred shortly after a fatal shooting at a Nashville Christian school, where six people were killed. The lawmakers joined thousands of protesters in demanding stricter firearm regulations.
Republican lawmakers deemed their actions a violation of House rules and expelled the three colleagues. This left around 140,000 voters in predominantly Black districts in Nashville and Memphis without representation in the Tennessee House.
Although Johnson narrowly avoided expulsion, Jones and Pearson were removed from their legislative seats. However, their successful election reinstates them and allows them to continue representing their districts.
