Democratic hopeful Justin Pearson says Southern politics test America’s future

Justin J. Pearson, a former Tennessee state representative who was removed from office after staging a gun-law reform protest, is now the Democratic candidate for the state’s 9th Congressional District, an area reshaped by recent redistricting and the growth of data-center hubs. In a podcast interview, Pearson tells host Al Letson that the South functions as a litmus test for America’s future, warning that it is where autocratic experiments and billionaire agendas are trialed.

He discusses how the new district maps have altered Tennessee’s political landscape and how gun violence has become a personal concern for him. Pearson also revisits the opposition he faced during his 2023 demonstration, which earned him the moniker “the Tennessee Three.” Listeners can find the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, or other podcast services.