Taylor Defeats Pearson in Tennessee's 9th District

Republican state senator Brent Taylor won the race after Republicans redrew the historically Democratic, majority-Black district.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

Taylor Defeats Pearson in Tennessee's 9th District

Live Poll

Do you think redrawing your district's boundaries to favor one party is fair?

Republican state senator Brent Taylor defeated Democratic state representative Justin J. Pearson in Tennessee's 9th Congressional District, receiving 65.68% of the vote to Pearson's 32.21%. Voters cast ballots on Tuesday, November 3.

Why it matters

The race was held in a district Republicans redrew to improve their party's electoral prospects, changing the boundaries of a seat that had been historically Democratic and majority-Black. The outcome reflects the effect of that redistricting on Tennessee's congressional representation.

Brent Taylor received 65.68% of the vote and Justin J. Pearson received 32.21% in the 9th Congressional District race. The extraction does not report total ballots counted or any further results.

The players

Brent Taylor

Brent Taylor is a Republican state senator who won the 9th Congressional District race.

Justin J. Pearson

Justin J. Pearson is a Democratic state representative and former member of the 'Tennessee Three' who lost the 9th Congressional District race.

The details

Pearson, a 31-year-old Democrat, was one of the 'Tennessee Three' who protested for gun reform in 2023 and was expelled from the state House alongside Rep. Justin Jones before being reinstated and reelected by voters. His platform included economic justice, Medicare for All, living wages, stronger gun safety laws, and environmental protections, and former Vice President Kamala Harris endorsed him.

2023: Pearson became one of the 'Tennessee Three' protesting gun reform.
Monday, November 2: Pearson posted on Facebook about the election's direction.
Tuesday, November 3: Voters cast ballots and Taylor defeated Pearson in the 9th District.

Political Context

Pearson's campaign drew on his 2023 protest for gun reform and his platform of Medicare for All and stronger gun safety laws, which opposed the redistricting that reshaped the historically Democratic, majority-Black 9th District. Republicans redrew the district to improve their party's electoral prospects, and Pearson's defeat reflects that change.

The redrawn 9th District now elects a Republican representative, changing who speaks for voters in that area in Congress. Residents of the district will see the effects of this shift in federal representation on the policies that come before the House.

The takeaway

The outcome shows how changes to district boundaries can alter which candidates win seats, even in areas with a long history of voting one way. Readers following Tennessee politics can track how the redistricting affects future races.