Justin J. Pearson

Justin J. Pearson is an American politician. A Democrat, he is currently a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing the 86th district, which covers parts of the city of Memphis. He was elected in a January 24, 2023, special election to succeed Barbara Cooper, who was posthumously re-elected in the 2022 Tennessee House of Representatives election after dying on October 25, 2022.

Justin J. Pearson
Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
from the 86th district
Assumed office
January 25, 2023
Preceded byBarbara Cooper
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceMemphis, Tennessee

Early life and environmental activism

Justin J. Pearson was born and grew up in Memphis, Tennessee.[1] He was the valedictorian at Mitchell High School and graduated from Bowdoin College in 2017.[2]

Pearson founded the advocacy group Memphis Community Against Pollution (formerly known as Memphis Community Against the Pipeline), which successfully fought to cancel the Byhalia Pipeline.[2] The pipeline was planned to run for 49 miles, including over the Memphis sand aquifer, which is used to provide water to residents in the Memphis area. The pipeline was also planned to run through poor Black neighborhoods in south Memphis.[3]

Political career

Barbara Cooper, who had served in the Tennessee House of Representatives since 1996, died on October 25, 2022. She was posthumously re-elected, necessitating a special election to fill the seat. Pearson ran in the Democratic primary for the seat, held on January 24, 2023. He won the primary with 52.35% of the vote. No Republicans or independents filed for the seat, his victory in the Democratic primary ensured his election.[4]

Because no general election was necessary, the Shelby County commission voted unanimously on January 25, 2023, to appoint him as interim state representative for the seat, so he could begin serving immediately.[5]

Following the death of Tyre Nichols, Pearson stated that he intended to pass legislation to prevent officers with criminal records from transferring between police departments.[6]

Electoral history
2023 Tennessee's 86th House of Representatives district Democratic primary special election[7][4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Justin J. Pearson 1,235 52.35%
Democratic Julian Bolton 289 12.25%
Democratic Will Richardson 190 8.05%
Democratic Juliette Eskridge 166 7.04%
Democratic Clifford Lewis 126 5.34%
Democratic Tanya Cooper 109 4.62%
Democratic Rod Blount 103 4.37%
Democratic Dominique Frost 95 4.03%
Democratic Andrew Withers 35 1.48%
Democratic Rebecca Robinson 11 0.47%
Write-in 1 0.00%
Total votes 2,360 100%

References
  1. "About Justin". Justin J. Pearson for State Representative. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  2. Coleman, Alex (January 25, 2023). "Justin Pearson becomes one of TN's youngest lawmakers". WREG-TV. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  3. Sainz, Adrian (May 4, 2021). "Oil pipeline builder agrees to halt eminent domain lawsuits". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  4. "Live Results: Tennessee House District 86 Special Primary - 270toWin". 270toWin. January 24, 2023. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  5. Dries, Bill (January 25, 2023). "Pearson heading to Nashville after appointment to state House seat". Daily Memphian. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  6. Royer, David (January 31, 2023). "MPD 'hiring failure' blamed in Tyre Nichols death". WREG-TV. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  7. "January 24, 2023 Special Democratic and Republican Primary Election Tennessee House of Representatives District 86". Shelby County Election Commission. January 24, 2023. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
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