Tennessee Democrats Expelled For Protesting Gun Violence Win Back Seats In Special Election

Jun 27, 2023

Tennessee state Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones won back their seats in a special election Thursday, the Associated Press reports, earning landslide victories after the two lawmakers were expelled by their colleagues for protesting gun violence after a mass shooting at a Nashville elementary school.

Tennessee State Representatives Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson demonstrate in support of gun ... [+] control laws at Legislative Plaza on April 18 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Pearson earned approximately 94% of the votes in Tennessee’s House District 86, which includes parts of Memphis, against Independent candidate Jeff Johnston, as reported by the Shelby County government with all precincts reporting.

Jones earned approximately 78% of the votes in House District 52, which includes parts of Nashville, against Republican Laura Nelson, as reported by Davidson County with all precincts reporting.

The two lawmakers were expelled by the GOP-controlled legislature in April, as Republicans claimed the legislators brought “dishonor and disorder” to the state House after they protested gun violence on the House floor.

A third lawmaker, Rep. Gloria Johnson—who is white, while Pearson and Jones are Black—narrowly avoided being expelled by one vote.

Pearson and Jones were reinstated to the House by local officials soon after their expulsions, but only on an interim basis, and the lawmakers needed to win the special elections to fully reclaim their seats for the rest of their two-year terms.

“The people have spoken,” Jones said on X, adding that the “FIND OUT era of politics is just beginning,” while Pearson commented the election results “confirm that the voice of District 86 will not be silenced” and the Tennessee GOP “CAN’T EXPEL A MOVEMENT!!”

More than $2 million. That’s how much Pearson and Jones raised in combined campaign donations for the special election, the AP reported in July, based on donations from more than 70,000 donors across the country. Jones’ Republican opponent raised approximately $34,000, the AP reports, with support from state Republican lawmakers, while Pearson’s Independent rival raised less than $400.

The Democratic lawmakers’ protest against gun violence took place days after the shooting at an elementary school in Nashville that killed three children and three adults. Protesters flooded the state Capitol building pushing for restrictions on firearms, and the legislators joined their cries and led the protest, briefly breaking the House’s rules of decorum and using a bullhorn on the House floor. Tennessee House lawmakers had previously only expelled lawmakers a handful of times, including in 1980 and 2016, and six House lawmakers were ousted in 1866 after opposing the ratification of the 14th Amendment. Pearson and Jones’ expulsion from the legislature became a national controversy, with President Joe Biden calling the move “shocking” and “undemocratic” as he met with the lawmakers at the White House weeks after their ouster. Senate Democrats called for the Justice Department to investigate the expulsions and whether it violated the lawmakers’ First Amendment rights and civil rights statutes, along with their constituents’ rights in removing their representation in the legislature. The DOJ has not yet commented on whether it’s investigating the controversy.

Expelled Tennessee Representatives Vie For Full Reinstatement As Special Elections Commence (Forbes)

Tennessee House Expels 2 Democrats Over Gun Reform Protest (Forbes)

Tennessee Expulsions: Senate Democrats Reportedly Call For DOJ To Investigate (Forbes)

Justin Pearson Reinstated To Tennessee State House (Forbes)

Justin Pearson Could Rejoin Tennessee State House This Week After Expulsion—Joining Justin Jones. Here’s What To Know. (Forbes)