Republican Senator Brent Taylor Runs for Congress After Enacting Laws That Limit Memphis Officials
State Senator Brent Taylor, who pushed preemption laws that curb local authority in Memphis, has entered the race for the newly redrawn 9th Congressional District.
Following the Tennessee legislature’s spring redistricting that split Memphis into three districts, Republican state Senator Brent Taylor declared his bid for the reconfigured 9th Congressional District, a seat that was once the state’s sole majority-Black district. During his four-year Senate tenure, Taylor championed a series of preemption bills that removed local control over bail decisions, nullified Memphis’s ordinance limiting police traffic stops, and subjected the Shelby County district attorney’s actions to state review.
Studies and experts argue these laws hurt Black residents by increasing incarceration and police discretion. Taylor, who has self-financed his campaign with $1.5 million, faces Democrat Justin J. Pearson, a 31-year-old former activist who promotes education and economic opportunities over incarceration. Pearson has out-raised Taylor and secured national Democratic support. The race highlights a clash between tough-on-crime policies and reform-oriented approaches in a district undergoing significant demographic change.
Why it matters
The contest will decide whether Memphis voters are represented by a lawmaker who has limited their local officials' power.
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