Exclusive: Sen. Chris Murphy joins Justin J. Pearson on campaign trail as Democrats target Tennessee seat

The senator tells theGrio Pearson is the kind of “bold leader” Democrats need as the party looks beyond traditional battlegrounds.

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy will travel to Memphis on Thursday to campaign with Justin J. Pearson, the Democratic nominee for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, theGrio reports exclusively.

“Justin is a fighter for working people who I’ve gotten to know through our shared work on gun safety,” Senator Murphy said in a statement to theGrio.

The backing of Murphy, a national Democrat and rumored 2028 presidential candidate, is significant for Pearson, a 31-year-old progressive state representative, who is seeking to win in a district redrawn by Tennessee Republicans, turning the once-majority-Black district into one designed to give Republicans an advantage.

However, Pearson and national Democrats believe the seat, currently held by U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, who will retire after his term ends on Jan. 3, 2027. On Oct. 5, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) added Pearson’s race to its coveted “Red to Blue” program, which arms “top-tier” Democratic candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives with organizational and fundraising support.

“This seat is in play,” Murphy tells theGrio. “As Democrats expand the map, that needs to include places like Tennessee and candidates like Justin. He’s the type of bold leader we need in DC, and I’m joining him today to make that case.” 

Rep. Pearson has emerged as a rising national voice for Democrats, advocating for gun reform, environmental protection, and voting rights in Memphis. He was introduced to most national audiences in 2023, when he was expelled by Republican lawmakers after participating in a protest against gun violence on the state House floor. Pearson was joined by two other lawmakers, Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson, who became known as the Tennessee Three.

While Johnson, who is white, was ultimately not expelled, Pearson and Jones, who are Black, were expelled. The expulsions were called out as racially motivated and anti-democratic; however, both young lawmakers were re-elected in their respective districts.

After Pearson’s expulsion, Sen. Murphy quickly mobilized on behalf of Pearson and Rep. Jones, resulting in at least $600,000 being raised in the following days. Murphy also pushed for the Justice Department under the Biden Administration to investigate their expulsion.

Senator Murphy’s campaign travels to Memphis to campaign with Pearson after he stumped for another progressive Democrat in Florida, Angie Nixon, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.