Former Tennessee state representative Justin Pearson is expecting to be quickly reappointed to the Legislature after his “unprecedented” expulsion for participating in a gun violence protest.
Pearson, a Memphis Democrat, said on Sunday that he hopes to continue serving District 86 in the reappointment. He also expressed his willingness to run in a special election if needed since he believes that their voters have been disenfranchised.
Pearson and Democratic Rep. Justin Jones of Nashville were expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives last Thursday, marking the first such partisan expulsion in the state’s modern history.
During a protest on March 30, the two politicians used a bullhorn to lead chants on the House floor, disrupting legislative business for a short time. Another Democrat, State Rep. Gloria Johnson, who also faced expulsion, was spared from removal by one vote, as she was not seen using the bullhorn.
During an interview on ABC’s “This Week,” Pearson described the expulsion as one of the greatest tactics of voter disenfranchisement and voter oppression he has ever witnessed. He believes that their removal is an example of how politicians are taking away people’s voices and rights to express their opinions, which is against the principles of democracy.
Pearson is now urging people to support him in his future campaigns, as he believes that he was unjustly removed from office. He also hopes that this incident will serve as a reminder to lawmakers that they should work for the people, not against them and that everyone has the right to speak their mind and demand change.