He's Running In a District Trump Won By 21 Points. Democrats See an Opening

State Rep.

Justin Pearson, who is running for a U.S.

House seat in Tennessee, speaks onstage during the NYT Climate Forward 2026 in New York City on Sept.

23, 2026. —David Dee Delgado—Getty Images for NYT The odds are still stacked against Justin Pearson .

When the Democratic state representative announced that he would continue to run for Congress in a gerrymandered district five months ago, it was seen by many in Tennessee and Washington as more symbolic than viable.

Pearson had originally planned to run in a majority-Black district in the Memphis area, challenging Rep.

Steven Cohen, a ten-term Democratic incumbent.

Then in May, the Republican-controlled state legislature redrew Tennessee's congressional map, splitting off parts of Memphis and combining it with 14 rural counties.

Pearson is now running to represent a district that Trump carried by more than 21 points in 2024.

“We knew this was going to be a harder race after they rigged the maps,” Pearson says in a phone interview.

“ It has not deterred us at all.” This week, Democrats’ House campaign arm gave Pearson’s bid against Republican state Sen.

Brent Taylor a vote of confidence, adding Tennessee’s 9th district to its coveted “Red to Blue” list.

Campaigns on the list receive “organizational and funding support,” as well as staff resources, training, and strategic guidance, according to a DCCC press release .

The late support comes against the backdrop of a broad national trend of key races shifting in Democrats’ favor.