Expelled Tennessee Lawmakers Reclaim Seats in Special Election
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, known as the “Tennessee Three,” have regained their legislative seats in a special election held on Thursday following their expulsion from the GOP-dominated Statehouse. The young Black lawmakers were reinstated on an interim basis by local officials and have now secured their positions fully after defeating their opponents in heavily Democrat-favoring districts.
Jones, residing in Nashville, competed against Republican candidate Laura Nelson, while Pearson from Memphis faced independent candidate Jeff Johnston. Both lawmakers expressed their gratitude to their supporters, with Pearson acknowledging the crucial role of Black women and their organizing efforts in his campaign.
As lawmakers prepare to reconvene in Nashville later this month for a special session on gun control, Jones and Pearson’s return to the Statehouse is expected to challenge the policies of their Republican colleagues. The Republican supermajority within the Legislature will not be significantly impacted by their reelection, but their presence will provide a strong opposition.
Jones and Pearson initially gained attention when they joined Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson in a gun control protest on the House floor. The demonstration took place shortly after a tragic shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville, which claimed the lives of three children and three adults. The three lawmakers joined the protesters’ demands for stricter firearms regulations and were subsequently expelled by Republican lawmakers for violating House rules.
The controversial move left approximately 140,000 voters in primarily Black districts in Nashville and Memphis without representation in the Tennessee House. Johnson, who is white, narrowly avoided expulsion, further fueling claims that race played a role in the decision. House Republican leaders have denied the allegations, but the incident gained national attention and support for the “Tennessee Three,” contributing to their successful campaign fundraising.
Pearson and Jones raised over $2 million combined through more than 70,400 campaign donations from across the country — an unprecedented amount for two freshman Democrats in a superminority. In contrast, more than 15 Republican lawmakers funneled funds to support Jones’ Republican opponent, Nelson, who raised over $34,000. Pearson’s opponent, Johnston, received less than $400 in campaign donations.
The special election also impacted two other legislative seats. In Nashville, community organizer Aftyn Behn and former Metro Councilmember Anthony Davis competed for a House seat left vacant after the passing of Democratic Rep. Bill Beck in June. In eastern Tennessee, Republican Timothy Hill faced Democrat Lori Love for a Republican-leaning District 3 seat that became vacant after former Republican Rep. Scotty Campbell resigned due to violations of the Legislature’s workplace discrimination and harassment policy.
Hill, who previously served in the state House and rose to the position of majority whip, had left his seat to run for an open U.S. House seat in 2020 but was defeated in the primary by current Republican U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger.