John,

You may know our most recent 2026 congressional endorsement, Justin J. Pearson, as one of the Tennessee Three. If you haven’t heard about this or forget the details, let us share the inspiring story with you.

But first, will you chip in any amount to help us send Justin to represent TN-09 in Congress?

On March 27, 2023, a horrific mass shooting was carried out at the Covenant School, an elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, killing three nine-year-old students and three staff members.

This violent tragedy was not an isolated incident, but part of the worsening gun violence epidemic running rampant in our country, as leaders in the pockets of the NRA and gun industry refuse — time after time — to step in and pass commonsense gun reform to save lives.

Three days after this mass shooting, hundreds of community members gathered at the Tennessee state capitol to make it clear: thoughts and prayers are not enough — our children and communities deserve action.

Three Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Justin J. Pearson, courageously chose to join their constituents in peaceful protest, chanting “No action, no peace" through a bullhorn on the House floor’s public chambers. From that moment on, the Republican supermajority was determined to make an example out of them, and they became known as the Tennessee Three.

In an unprecedented and authoritarian move, Tennessee Republicans made it their mission to punish Justin and his colleagues for exercising their First Amendment rights by voting for their expulsion, under the guise of “breached decorum” — a move usually reserved for serious misconduct by lawmakers.

Rep. Gloria Johnson was spared expulsion by one vote, but Justin and his fellow colleague, Rep. Justin Jones, were expelled from their seats. The GOP cynically tried to silence two young, Black leaders for standing side by side with their constituents and calling for action to save our children from the wrath of gun violence.

As Justin wrote in a CNN opinion piece, “In Tennessee, the birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan and where multiple Klan, White Nationalist, and neo-Nazi organizations still thrive, the condescension and barely-veiled racism heaped on Justin Jones and me, and on the communities we represent, were on full display.”

What came next was a nationwide uproar. Justin did not give up or go silent — he continued to raise his voice, speak truth to power, and rally community members in the fight for justice.

Six days after his wrongful expulsion, Justin was reappointed to his seat by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners in a unanimous vote, and then won a special election to retain his seat that August with almost 94% of the vote.

It goes to show that true power is with the people, and far-right forces — from the Tennessee Republican Party to Donald Trump and his MAGA cult in Congress — know that and are afraid of it. That’s why they’re attacking our most fundamental freedoms, but together, we can stop them.

Justin is ready to take this fighting spirit to Washington on behalf of the working people of Memphis and join Justice Democrats like Summer Lee, Rashida Tlaib, and Delia Ramirez in working to stop fascism while pushing for bold solutions to gun violence, economic inequality, climate change, and more.

But we’re going up against powerful, wealthy forces, so it’s going to take ALL of us to win. Your contribution of $5 or more will directly fuel our movement and help send him there: please pitch in whatever you can.

Contribute $5

In solidarity,

Justice Democrats