Justin Pearson launches primary challenge against Steve Cohen in Tennessee
Tennessee state representative Justin Pearson has announced a primary challenge against longtime Democratic incumbent Steve Cohen for the Ninth Congressional District seat. The Memphis native, known for his role in the 'Tennessee Three,' aims to mount a progressive, people-powered campaign. Pearson criticizes Cohen's corporate ties and support for Israel while emphasizing local issues like poverty and affordability.
Justin Pearson, a Memphis native and Tennessee state representative, is challenging 10-term Democratic incumbent Steve Cohen in the primary for Tennessee’s Ninth Congressional District, which centers on Memphis, a Democratic stronghold in a Republican-dominated state. Pearson gained national attention in 2023 as part of the “Tennessee Three,” a group of lawmakers expelled from the state legislature for protesting in favor of stricter gun control following a Nashville school shooting.
Pearson is partnering with progressive organizations Justice Democrats and Leaders We Deserve to counter Cohen’s advantages, including over $1.5 million in cash on hand and corporate donations. “We’re going to have to run our own race,” Pearson said. “And it’s going to be a great people-powered campaign for justice. I’m not taking any corp money, and I know Cohen has millions in corporate donations. I believe in the power of people, and we’re counting on the people to organize and galvanize a campaign to win this race.”
Cohen, who has served in Congress for two decades, won reelection in 2024 with 71% of the vote. Pearson highlights his working-class background and policy priorities, including Medicare for All, opposition to a multibillion-dollar pipeline project, and addressing poverty in the district, where one in three children and one in five adults live below the poverty line. He also diverges from Cohen on foreign policy, criticizing U.S. support for Israel amid the Gaza conflict. “What’s happening in Gaza is heartbreaking,” Pearson said. “I’m not going to be supporting the sending of billions in bombs overseas, when people in my own district—their houses are sinking, and their kids are hungry.”
Justice Democrats endorsed Pearson, accusing Cohen of being an “average absentee Congressman” who takes the district for granted while accepting corporate PAC money and rarely holding town halls. Pearson’s platform focuses on healthcare access, affordable housing, environmental protection, and countering Trump’s tariffs, which he says harm local farmers. He plans to appeal to both urban and rural voters by addressing bread-and-butter issues over cultural divides. Cohen’s reelection slogan, “Keep Goin’ with Cohen!,” has drawn mockery from Pearson, who questions its direction amid ongoing local struggles.