Democratic Tennessee State Rep. Justin Pearson is known for speaking his mind about the current state of politics, at home and across the country. Still, he’s taking it up a notch, touching on the need for change that requires new faces — even if that means challenging the members who paved the way.
Pearson is one of several new Black leaders running in hot-ticketed midterm elections, seeking to take over for incumbent leaders who have been glued to their elected seats for sometimes decades.
And in the second running of the Trump administration’s controversial policies, Pearson says it’s time for some to step aside. “This is a new moment that requires different ideas, requires new energy and new perspectives, and you cannot be a part of the system for 40 years and also be the one who’s going to change it for the next 40,” the 31-year-old told Politico.
“You’ve done the best that you could, and it’s time for other folks to be able to do the best that they can for the present and for the future.”
As Pearson launched a campaign to challenge incumbent Rep. Steve Cohen, 76, the ideology has trickled into territories that have served Black communities and beyond — the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).
Since its 1971 establishment, the group has grown significantly, with a current roster of 62 members and an average member age of 60. While 60 should not be deemed “old” or out of touch, Pearson feels there needs to be a sense of adaptation to carry on, especially for the betterment of Black people.
“The Democratic Party has to adapt to survive. That work starts right now,” the once expelled leader said.
“Black folks in this country are still suffering disproportionately in every single category, and without leadership to elevate those concerns, those worries, those issues in a meaningful way, we’re never going to see that change.”
Some of the oldest House Democrats serve as CBC members, like Rep. Jim Clyburn, 85, who has represented South Carolina for more than 30 years, and California Rep. Maxine Waters, 87, who was first elected in 1990. Both have plans for reelection bids. It’s candidates like Pearson and Evan Turnage, the former senior staffer to Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer (NY) and Elizabeth Warren (MA), who launched a primary campaign to take over for Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), 77, who have expressed their concerns.
“When I was born in 1992, this was the poorest district in the poorest state in the country,” Turnage, 33, said.
“Congressman Thompson was elected in ’93, and now today, I’m 33, and this is still the poorest district in the poorest state in the country.”
He agreed with Pearson’s sentiments on the need for fresh and new leadership, saying it’s time for long-serving members who have “failed” younger generations. “Just because you’ve been around the block for 30 years doesn’t mean you’re delivering results for the district, doesn’t mean you’re delivering results for your constituents,” Turnage said.
The wave of new leadership featuring Black faces seems never-ending from the West to the East Coast. In Georgia, Everton Blair, who made history as the youngest, first Black, and first openly gay person elected to the Gwinnett County Board of Education, is eyeing the congressional seat of the state’s 13th District.
According to ABC News, Blair launched a primary bid against incumbent Rep. David Scott, who has held the seat for 22 years.
His goal is to serve as an “agile and present” leader, something
the 32-year-old no longer sees in Scott. “I’m running because District 13, my home turf, deserves better leadership. And I think we learned a vital lesson in November. We need to respond immediately to the chaos of this administration with stronger, more competent, and forceful leadership,” Blair said.“When somebody’s served in elected office for over 50 years, there comes a time when you have to ask when you’re actually ready to prepare the next generation of leadership.”
RELATED CONTENT: Microsoft Investigates Widespread 365 Outage Impacting Outlook And Teams In North America