Pearson seeks Tennessee 9th District U.S. House seat

Justin J. Pearson, a Democratic state representative from Memphis, is running for Tennessee's 9th Congressional District seat in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Pearson faces Republican Brent Taylor, along with independents Dennis Clark and Michelle Davis Head, according to BallotReady election data. Pearson is certified for the ballot.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic
Office sought: U.S. House of Representatives, Tennessee 9th Congressional District
Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
Born: Jan. 7, 1995, in Memphis
Education: High school diploma, Mitchell High School (valedictorian); bachelor's degree in government and legal studies, Bowdoin College (2017)
Family: Married Oceana Gilliam in 2025. The two met during a summer public policy institute at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, according to his Wikipedia biography.

Pearson announced his congressional campaign on Oct. 8, 2025, at Alonzo Weaver Park in Memphis, next to Mitchell High School. As of July 17, 2026, he had raised nearly $2.3 million and had $845,000 cash on hand, according to FEC filings reported by Tennessee Lookout.

Experience and public service

Pearson serves as state representative for District 86 in the Tennessee House of Representatives, a seat he has held since 2023, according to BallotReady. He previously worked as special assistant to the CEO at Year Up. In 2020, he co-founded Memphis Community Against Pollution, an advocacy organization, per Wikipedia. At Bowdoin College, he was a Mellon Mays Fellow.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Pearson's campaign website and BallotReady questionnaire responses. Some BallotReady responses were submitted for Pearson's state legislative race and may not reflect his congressional platform. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.

Healthcare: Pearson said he supports passing Medicare for All and investing in rural hospitals and the Veterans Affairs healthcare system. He said he wants to stop drug companies from raising prices beyond what consumers can afford and cut costs for life-saving medicine.

Environment and energy: Pearson said he supports pausing hyperscale data center construction until comprehensive health, environmental and economic protections are passed. He said he wants to secure funding for families facing medical expenses due to pollution.

Education: Pearson said he supports fully funding public education and opposes school vouchers. He said he wants more funding for Title I schools and teacher pay raises.

Guns: Pearson said he supports permits to carry, a ban on assault rifles, background checks and cooling-off periods for firearms purchases. He said he also supports national red flag laws and a national ban on partially completed firearms, known as 80% guns, shipped without serial numbers.

Workers and wages: Pearson said he supports passing the PRO Act to protect workers' right to organize and creating a federal jobs program. He said he wants to increase the minimum wage county by county using the MIT Living Wage Calculator.