MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Energy prices, data centers and crime are at the center of the race for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, where two Memphis state lawmakers are competing for an open seat as early voting begins.
State Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, and state Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, are running after the Tennessee Legislature adopted a new congressional map in May that carves up portions of the district. Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat who has represented the 9th District since 2007, announced his retirement and is not seeking re-election in 2026.
Taylor, a funeral home owner, said the redrawn district is now roughly a 60-40 Republican seat. He said he would support temporarily suspending gas taxes and pointed to the Tennessee Energy Freedom Act, which would shield energy companies from lawsuits unless a violation of federal law is proven.
On data centers, Taylor sponsored legislation requiring data center owners to pay the full costs of electricity upgrades instead of passing them to residents, and he criticized Pearson for voting against it. Pearson has called for a 12-month temporary moratorium on data centers in Tennessee to study environmental impacts. Taylor said decisions about where data centers go should be left to cities and counties.
The two also split over the Memphis Safe Task Force, a federal, state and local partnership aimed at reducing crime in Memphis. The U.S. Marshals Service says the force made 13,000 arrests and seized 2,200 firearms since September 2025. Pearson has criticized the deployment and said federal agents have disproportionately targeted Black residents, while Taylor argued the task force has made Memphis safer for low-income residents.
Pearson leads in fundraising with $2.3 million in contributions and $844,000 in cash on hand, compared with Taylor’s $1.5 million raised and more than $417,000 on hand, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Early voting for the Nov. 3 election runs Oct. 14 through Oct. 29. Voters can check registration, find polling places and view sample ballots through the state GoVoteTN portal.
