U.S. House · Tennessee's 9th District
Memphis and surrounding Shelby County, under the congressional map Tennessee redrew in May 2026.
General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
RESULT · UNOFFICIAL UNTIL CERTIFIED
Brent Taylor, projected winner
| Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Taylor | 111,968 | 49.6% |
| Justin Pearson | 109,429 | 48.5% |
| Dennis Clark | 2,413 | 1.1% |
| Michelle Davis Head | 1,804 | 0.8% |
About 99% of the expected vote counted. As of November 9. Winners take office next year. Counts can change until states certify. NBC News ↗
Sources re-checked September 25, 2026 · How we research
- Tennessee redrew its congressional district boundaries in May 2026 (mid-decade redistricting). Incumbent Rep. Steve Cohen (D), who has held this seat since 2007, withdrew from the Democratic primary and is not on the November 3 ballot.[1]
- State Rep. Justin Pearson won the Democratic primary with 65.8% of the vote, defeating state Sen. London Lamar and two others. State Sen. Brent Taylor won the Republican primary with 46.0% of the vote in a four-candidate field.[1]
- Tennessee state Sen. Brent Taylor announced his campaign for the seat in May 2026, before Rep. Cohen withdrew from the race.[2]
On the November 3 ballot · 4 candidates
Issue evidence — side by side
Recorded votes, documented positions and candidates’ own words are shown with sources. “In their own words” quotes a candidate on the topic without inferring a stance. Votes describe specific bills or motions; they do not establish overall support or opposition to a broad issue. A dash means our research has no evidence on that topic, not that the candidate has no position.
Stricter gun laws
- Justin PearsonSupports[4]
Campaign platform calls for permits to carry, a ban on assault rifles, and background checks with cooling-off periods for firearm purchases.
- Brent Taylor—
- Dennis Jeffrey Clark—
- Michelle Head—
Expand immigration enforcement and deportations
- Justin Pearson—
- Brent TaylorSupports[5]
Campaign issues page says he sponsored the Tennessee law requiring sheriffs to honor ICE detainers and, in Congress, would restore strong enforcement, deport criminal illegal immigrants and end sanctuary policies.
- Dennis Jeffrey Clark—
- Michelle Head—
Raise taxes on high earners or corporations
- Justin PearsonSupports[4]
Campaign platform calls for making billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share.
- Brent Taylor—
- Dennis Jeffrey Clark—
- Michelle Head—
Expand public health coverage
- Justin PearsonSupports[4]
Campaign platform calls for passing Medicare for All and investing in rural hospitals and VA healthcare.
- Brent Taylor—
- Dennis Jeffrey Clark—
- Michelle Head—
Increase police funding and staffing
- Justin Pearson—
- Brent TaylorSupports[5]
Campaign issues page says he would push for more federal resources for police recruitment and retention.
- Dennis Jeffrey Clark—
- Michelle Head—
Public funding for school choice (vouchers / charters)
- Justin PearsonOpposes[4]
Campaign platform calls for fully funding public education and reining in what he calls school voucher "scams."
- Brent Taylor—
- Dennis Jeffrey Clark—
- Michelle Head—
Raise the minimum wage
- Justin PearsonSupports[4]
Campaign platform calls for ensuring the minimum wage is a true living wage.
- Brent Taylor—
- Dennis Jeffrey Clark—
- Michelle Head—
Research notes & limits
Brent Taylor's campaign website (brenttaylortn.com) was loaded for his biography; his positions and priorities were drawn from Ballotpedia's summary of his campaign materials, quoting his site directly. No public records were found for independent candidates Dennis Jeffrey Clark or Michelle Head beyond their names on the ballot.
Sources · 23
Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.
- 1.Tennessee's 9th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 2.Brent Taylor candidate profile · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 3.Justin Pearson (Tennessee) · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 4.Issues · Justin J. Pearson for U.S. Congress campaign website Candidate's own words
- 5.Issues · Brent Taylor for Tennessee · 2026-10-03 Candidate's own words
- 6.Justin Pearson (Tennessee) · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 7.Representative Justin J. Pearson · Tennessee General Assembly Official record
- 8.Get to Know Justin J. Pearson · Justin J. Pearson for U.S. Congress Candidate's own words
- 9.Justin J. Pearson · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
- 10.Tennessee's 9th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 11.U.S. House · Tennessee's 9th District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 12.Senator Brent Taylor · Tennessee General Assembly Official record
- 13.About · Brent Taylor for Tennessee Candidate's own words
- 14.Tennessee's 9th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 15.Brent Taylor (Tennessee) · Ballotpedia Reference
- 16.Brent Taylor (Tennessee politician) · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
- 17.Brent Taylor launches bid for Tennessee's redrawn 9th District · NewsChannel 5 News report
- 18.Tennessee 9th District U.S. House election results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 19.Tennessee's 9th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 20.U.S. House of Representatives, 9th District · Tennessee Lookout News report
- 21.U.S. House · Tennessee's 9th District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 22.Tennessee's 9th Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 23.U.S. House · Tennessee's 9th District results 2026 · NBC News News report