Who's running in Tennessee's 9th congressional district
4 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Supporting President Trump's agenda, including providing 'impeachment insurance' for his final two years.
Strong borders and ending illegal immigration.
Continuing the Memphis Safe Task Force approach to crime.
State accountability for Memphis schools.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Tennessee state senator, 31st District, since 2023.
Former funeral home director.
Co-sponsored the Tennessee Public School Accountability Act, which enabled a state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools; sponsored several immigration bills.
Ran unsuccessfully for Congress against Marsha Blackburn in 2002.
Won the August 6, 2026 Republican primary with 46.0% over state Rep. Todd Warner, Jeremy Thompson and Charlotte Bergmann.
Endorsed by President Trump, Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally.
Raised $1.55 million through July 25, 2026, including more than $1 million of his own money; $417,377 on hand.
Arguments in favor
Crime in Memphis is down and schools are improving because of the steps he pushed, and residents as far away as Hardin County say they are better off for the effort to 'make Memphis matter'.
— Brent Taylor, to Action News 5
He is 'someone who stepped up to the plate, who can deliver, who can run a campaign, can do it quickly'.
— State Sen. Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), introducing Taylor, reported by the Williamson Scene
Arguments against
He demeaned a Democratic state senator's protest against the new map by comparing her to an exotic dancer — 'the table dance wasn't worth 20 bucks' — and has fuelled the partisan divide himself, becoming 'a villain in the eyes of many Tennessee Democrats'.
— Williamson Scene reporting on Taylor's remarks at a Republican Women of Williamson County event
The district he is running in was 'cracked' by Republican officials to dilute Black voting power in Memphis after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act.
— Democracy Now! reporting
What we couldn’t verify
No DCCC material naming Taylor specifically could be found beyond the committee's listing of the seat as in play.
His campaign website could not be located.
Whether Taylor will debate Pearson had not been reported.
Raising the minimum wage and taxing the wealthy as part of 'poverty eradication'.
Protecting land, air and water from what he calls toxic data centres, including Elon Musk's Colossus facilities.
Getting money out of politics.
An economy 'for the many, not just big corporations and the billionaire few'.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Tennessee state representative, 86th District, since 2023; expelled in April 2023 over a gun-violence protest and reinstated.
Longtime environmental justice organiser in Memphis.
Won the August 6, 2026 Democratic primary with 65.7% over state Sen. London Lamar, M. LaTroy Alexandria-Williams and Jim Torino.
Endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Reps. Ro Khanna and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Justice Democrats, MoveOn and the Working Families Party; Rep. Steve Cohen endorsed Lamar in the primary.
Raised $2.34 million through July 25, 2026, largely from small donors nationwide, with $844,733 on hand.
Arguments in favor
'People don't want toxic data centers polluting the air that they breathe. It's not a fight of right versus left; it's a fight of those who are at the top and the rest of us' — a working-class message he argues can reach rural, suburban and urban voters alike.
— Justin Pearson, to Democracy Now!
'Justin understands the needs of Tennessee's working class, and he knows that leaders who go to Washington must not sell their souls to lobbyists and the corruption of our political system.'
— Endorsement quoted on the Pearson campaign site
Arguments against
He will 'take the fight' to Pearson over his conduct during the redistricting special session: 'anybody that gets up off the House floor, goes up into the gallery, stands nose to nose with law enforcement…'
— Brent Taylor, Republican opponent, to the Williamson Scene
He faces an uphill fight in a district that swung from solidly Democratic to solidly Republican after the redraw and backed Trump by about 21 points, running on a progressive platform against a Trump-endorsed opponent.
— Washington Examiner, citing the Cook Political Report
What we couldn’t verify
No NRCC material naming Pearson specifically could be found.
Whether Pearson will debate Taylor had not been reported.
Qualified as an independent candidate for this seat in the November 3, 2026 general election.
No prior elected office could be identified.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No news coverage, campaign website, candidate questionnaire or campaign finance filing could be found, so this candidate's background and positions could not be established.
No published argument for or against this candidacy by any named party, group or outlet could be found.
Qualified as an independent candidate for this seat in the November 3, 2026 general election.
No prior elected office could be identified.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No news coverage, campaign website, candidate questionnaire or campaign finance filing could be found, so this candidate's background and positions could not be established.
No published argument for or against this candidacy by any named party, group or outlet could be found.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Tennessee held its primaries on August 6, 2026, under a new congressional map signed May 7, 2026. State Republicans redrew the 9th District in a special session, after the US Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais ruling weakened the Voting Rights Act, explicitly to flip a seat Democrats had held for more than 40 years. Harris carried the old district with about 71%; Trump carried the new one with roughly 60%. It is now an L-shaped district running from southeastern Shelby County, including Eads and the Memphis airport area, across rural southwest and southern Middle Tennessee to eastern Williamson and Maury counties. Rep. Steve Cohen withdrew after the redraw. Four candidates are on the November ballot: Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor, who won his primary with 46.0%; Democratic state Rep. Justin J. Pearson, who won his with 65.7% over state Sen. London Lamar; and independents Dennis Clark and Michelle Davis Head. The roster is confirmed by NewsChannel 5, Wikipedia and Ballotpedia. Candidate order here is Republican, Democrat, then independents alphabetically; that is an assumption, not the verified ballot order. The Cook Political Report rates the seat Solid Republican with an R+9 lean, the smallest Republican lean in the state. The DCCC added it to its 'seats in play' list in August. Taylor and Pearson were the only candidates in either primary to raise more than $1 million.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Tennessee ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Tennessee Secretary of State.