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The two Black Tennessee lawmakers who were expelled from the state House over a gun control protest have won back their seats.
On Thursday (August 3rd), Representatives Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) and Justin Jones (D-Nashville) both won their special election races handily. Jones defeated the Republican challenger Laura Nelson with 80% of the vote to again represent House District 52 covering most of eastern Nashville. Pearson beat independent Jeff Johnson with 93% of the vote. Jones celebrated with a triumphant post on Twitter late Thursday evening. “Well, Mr. Speaker, the People have spoken. The FIND OUT era of politics is just beginning. See you August 21st for special session,” he wrote.
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“I think if we keep running this race, there will be victory after victory after victory,” Pearson said after his win in a statement, thanking Black women for mobilizing voters. “I look forward to heading back to the Tennessee state capitol on Aug. 21 for the special session on gun legislation. We, the People, will march, rally and work to pass legislation.”
Jones and Pearson became nationally known after being expelled from the state House, which is under a Republican majority. The two, along with Rep. Gloria Johnson, led supporters of a protest over the massacre at The Covenant School in Nashville back in March. The lawmakers used a bullhorn as they took to the House floor while protesting for better gun control legislation. The leaders of the House called the actions “an insurrection” and made the move to vote to expel Pearson and Jones, both Black – but not Johnson.
The expulsion led to the lawmakers being dubbed “The Tennessee Three” as they gained support nationwide, with Vice President Kamala Harris vocalizing her support in a speech in Nashville shortly afterward and the White House inviting them for a visit. Jones and Pearson would be swiftly reinstated to their seats by local government officials the following month before the special elections were held. Johnson is believed to be preparing to challenge current Senator Marsha Blackburn for her seat next year.
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In a shocking display, the Republican-led House in Tennessee’s state legislature voted to expel two Black Democrat lawmakers over their support of gun control reform.
On Thursday (April 6th), the House chamber led by members of the Republican Party voted 72-25 to expel Rep. Justin Jones, who represents a district in Nashville. They went on to vote 69-26 to oust Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis. Their effort to expel Rep. Gloria Johnson failed by a single vote with the count being 65 – 30. When questioned by the press about the differences in the voting outcomes between her and Pearson and Jones, she replied: “I’ll answer your question; it might have to do with the color of our skin.”
Pearson told reporters before taking the floor for the vote: “This is a first in American history. And we are losing our democracy to white supremacy. We are losing our democracy to patriarchy.” He and Jones would lambast the GOP membership in their remarks before the vote. “The world is watching Tennessee,” Jones said. “What is happening here today is a farce of democracy.” He would go on to call the Republican members a “lynch mob” and point out their hypocrisy. ‘For years, one of your colleagues, an admitted child molester, sat in this chamber – no expulsion’, he said in his speech that has gone viral.
The three lawmakers were singled out for their participation in a protest led by students and parents at the state capitol a week earlier, days after a horrific school shooting in Nashville that claimed the lives of six people including three 9-year-olds. Jones, Pearson, and Johnson used megaphones to lead the chants of protesters that called out GOP lawmakers for obstructing efforts to reform gun control laws.
The resolutions to expel “The Tennessee Three” were practically identical, and claimed their protests “reflects adversely upon the integrity and dignity” of the House. Biographical information for Jones and Pearson was wiped from the legislative body’s website and both seats were listed as vacant. The expulsion votes have only occurred three times in Tennessee House history according to a report – for contempt, bribery, and sexual misconduct. Despite the alarming situation, there is hope – the empty roles would normally be filled by special election, and Pearson and Jones can run again in their districts and be appointed to fill the slots. If both regain their seats, state law prevents them from being expelled for the same offense.
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