State Sen. Brent Taylor appears at a GOP rally in Franklin, Oct. 27, 2026

State Sen. Brent Taylor appears at a GOP rally in Franklin, Oct. 27, 2026

Following a fraught race and despite a late-breaking October surprise, state Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) has won the 9th Congressional District race.

The Memphis Republican faced state Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), who entered the race more than a year ago — before the state’s Republican supermajority carved up Tennessee’s congressional map and split Memphis into three separate districts. This will be the first time the seat has been red in several decades. Following redistricting, longtime Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen announced that he would not seek reelection.