‘Tennessee Three’ member moves closer to challenging GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
Democrat Tennessee State Rep. Gloria Johnson Explores Potential Run for U.S. Senate Seat in 2024
Democrat Tennessee State Rep. Gloria Johnson, who gained national recognition for her participation in a protest on the House floor of the state Capitol earlier this spring, is now considering a run for the state’s U.S. Senate seat in 2024.
Ms. Johnson, 61, recently filed the paperwork (pdf) to register a federal campaign exploratory committee. This step is often taken before an official campaign launch and allows potential candidates to raise funds for travel and polling without officially declaring their candidacy.
According to her federal election committee paperwork, Ms. Johnson is specifically exploring a Senate run in 2024, which would put her in direct competition with Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who has already filed her own paperwork (pdf) for a second term.
“Tennessee has a Senator that stands with bullies, I have a reputation for standing up to bullies,”
Ms. Johnson said in a recent statement, while avoiding naming Ms. Blackburn directly. “I’m taking a serious look at this race and having great conversations with folks who are hungry for better leadership in Washington.”
Lawmaker Played Role in ‘Tennessee Three’ Incident
Ms. Johnson has been a vocal critic of Ms. Blackburn and other top Tennessee Republican leaders during her time in office. Her consideration of a Senate run comes after she gained national attention for her involvement in a protest incident on the floor of the Tennessee House of Representatives earlier this year. In March, Ms. Johnson, along with two other Democratic state lawmakers, broke decorum rules by rushing to the floor without recognition and leading protesters in the House gallery in chants advocating for gun control.
The gun control protest took place just days after a tragic incident at the Covenant private Christian school, where an individual, who police alleged identified as transgender, killed six people, including three children.
Following the protest, the Republican majority in the state House introduced resolutions to remove Ms. Johnson and the other two lawmakers involved, Reps. Justin Jones of Nashville and Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis. While Mr. Jones and Mr. Pearson were successfully expelled, the expulsion vote against Ms. Johnson failed by one vote.
Supporters of the three Democratic lawmakers dubbed them the “Tennessee Three.”
President Joe Biden even weighed in on the controversy, characterizing the actions of the lawmakers as a “peaceful protest” and criticizing the Republican-led expulsion effort. He subsequently invited the three Tennessee Democrats to the White House, where they discussed various gun control proposals.
Despite the expulsion vote, Mr. Jones and Mr. Pearson continued to serve in the Tennessee state House on an interim basis and were recently reinstated in local special elections.
Republicans Hold Advantage in Tennessee Politics
While Ms. Johnson’s recent actions have raised her profile, she faces an uphill battle in Tennessee, a state that has consistently voted Republican in recent years. In fact, the state has not elected a Democrat to a statewide office since 2006.
Ms. Blackburn won her first Senate race in 2018, defeating former Gov. Phil Bredesen by a significant margin.
In addition to Ms. Johnson, Democratic community organizer Marquita Bradshaw has also announced plans to run for Ms. Blackburn’s seat in 2024. Ms. Bradshaw won the Democratic Senate primary in 2020 but lost to Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) in the general election.
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