Memphis, Tennessee: Justin J. Pearson Concedes District 9 Race as Brent Taylor Flips the Seat

Democratic state Rep. Justin J. Pearson conceded the race for Tennessee's 9th Congressional District on Wednesday, accepting a narrow loss to Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor in a Memphis seat that was redrawn this year. "I accept the results of this election for Congress," Pearson said in a Nov. 4 statement. "But, I will not concede to rigged maps, attacks on democracy in Tennessee, or to billionaire control of our political system."

Unofficial results from the Tennessee Secretary of State, carried in the Associated Press count, put Taylor at 111,968 votes and Pearson at 109,429, a margin of 2,539 votes, with 280 of 283 precincts reporting. The Commercial Appeal and The Tennessean both put the margin at about 2,500 votes, just over one percentage point. The results are unofficial until they are certified.

A seat redrawn in May

Republican lawmakers redrew Tennessee's congressional map in a May special session called by Gov. Bill Lee. The new lines split the majority-minority 9th District, the state's last remaining Democratic House seat, and made all nine Tennessee districts heavily favor Republicans, The Tennessean reported. The old district mostly encompassed Memphis. Pearson announced in October 2025 that he would challenge U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen for the seat. After the redistricting, Cohen left the race, and Pearson became the Democratic nominee. Taylor entered the race the day the new maps passed and won endorsements from U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and President Donald Trump, The Commercial Appeal reported.

Election night, then a concession

Taylor claimed victory in the late hours of election night, Nov. 3. "Memphis now has three congressmen that will be able to represent you well in Congress," he said in his victory speech, pointing to Rep. David Kustoff, who won reelection, and Congressman-elect Charlie Hatcher. Taylor said his aims in Washington are to reduce prices, lift regulation on small businesses and family farms, and reduce federal spending. Pearson took the stage at his Memphis watch party just before midnight and did not concede. "No one thought or imagined it would ever be as close as this race is right now," he told reporters late on Nov. 3. "Without a shadow of a single doubt, together, we have changed history," he told supporters. He waited until Nov. 4 to accept the result.

What changes for Memphis

Both men ran two campaigns this cycle. Taylor also won reelection to his Tennessee Senate District 31 seat. As the winner of the District 9 election, he will likely resign from the Tennessee General Assembly, which would prompt a special election for his state seat, The Commercial Appeal reported. Pearson retained his Tennessee House District 86 seat, which he ran for unopposed, so he stays in the state legislature. Taylor served earlier on the Memphis City Council and the Shelby County Commission, chaired the Shelby County Election Commission, and owned funeral homes in the Mid-South before winning his state Senate seat in 2022. He backed the Memphis Safe Task Force and testified before Congress about a federal deployment to the city. Pearson first drew attention through the fight against the Byhalia Pipeline in South Memphis, won a 2023 special election after Rep. Barbara Cooper died, and was expelled from the state House as part of the Tennessee Three after a gun control protest following the Covenant School shooting, then quickly reappointed.