Special election dates set for Justin Jones' House District 52 seat

Dates have been set for the special primary and general elections to fill the state representative District 52 seat after Rep. Justin Jones’ expulsion from the legislature.

While Jones, D-Nashville, was rapidly reappointed to the position on an interim basis by the Metro Council, he will only serve as interim until a representative is elected in the special election and sworn in.

Shelby County has also set a schedule for the primary and general election for District 86, currently held on an interim basis by Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, who was also expelled and quickly reappointed to the seat until the special election.

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Pearson and Jones, among the youngest Black lawmakers in Tennessee, were expelled from the House for having led gun-reform chants that briefly disrupted House proceedings three days after three 9-year-olds and three adults were shot and killed at The Covenant School in Nashville.

A third lawmaker, Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, was also threatened with expulsion, but retained her seat by a single vote.

In Davidson County, the Republican and Democratic primaries for District 52 will be Thursday, June 15. The general election will be Aug. 3. The dates for the District 86 election in Shelby County are the same.

Both Pearson and Jones have said they plan to seek reelection and are considered the favorites to win in the Democratic-leaning districts.

Katherine Burgess covers government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Special election dates set for Justin Jones' House District 52 seat