The political drama in Tennessee continues. Only days after two Black lawmakers were expelled from the state legislature by their Republican colleagues, one of those representatives has already been reappointed to his seat.

Rep. Justin Jones is now calling for the Tennessee House speaker who led the efforts against him to resign.

On Monday, the Nashville Metropolitan Council voted unanimously to appoint Justin Jones as interim representative for the district, returning Jones to the seat from which legislators voted to expel him on Thursday.

Blavity reported that Jones was expelled alongside another young Black representative, Justin Pearson, for participating in a March protest for gun control. Their white colleague, who participated in the same protest, was not expelled. Even as this unprecedented move was happening, expectations were high that the Nashville Metropolitan Council, which has the constitutional power to fill the vacant seat, would reappoint Jones. They did so on Monday by a 36-0 vote. Even Councilor Delishia Porterfield, who ran against Jones for the seat in the last Democratic primary, supported his quick reappointment.

“The people made a choice” in electing Jones, “and it was the right choice,” Porterfield said Monday, according to Axios.

Any thoughts that this ordeal would silence Jones were put to rest on Monday.

Soon after being reappointed, Jones returned to the Tennessee House floor that afternoon, where his Democratic colleagues joyously welcomed him back. Later, he led protesters on a march to the Capitol. 

“Today we are sending a resounding message that democracy will not be killed in the comfort of silence,” Jones said, while calling out Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton by name, as he did during the session held to expel him. 

“The people will not allow his crimes against democracy to happen without challenge,” Jones said of Sexton. 

Jones called for Sexton to resign, a call that is growing as reports emerge that the speaker may be living outside of his district in violation of the state’s constitution.

 

The Shelby County Board of Commissioners has announced it will hold a special session on Wednesday to decide if it will reappoint Rep. Pearson to his seat. Commission Chairman Mickell Lowery described the meeting as intended to consider whether or not “to reappoint Mr. Justin Pearson to his duly elected position to represent the citizens in District 86 for the State of Tennessee House of Representatives,” noting that the decision to expel Pearson deprived the voters of the county of their elected representative. The outcome of this meeting is uncertain, in part because commissioners have stated Republican legislators have threatened to cut state funding to the county if it reappoints Pearson. Even if Pearson is reappointed on an interim basis as Jones was, both will still face a special election later this year to determine who will permanently hold the seat.

Overall, the effort to punish and silence Jones and Pearson appears to have backfired spectacularly. The two ousted lawmakers have gained national fame and support, while Tennessee Republicans remain under scrutiny. While the political battles in Tennessee are far from over, they are not going as local Republicans intended.

Rep. Justin JonesTennesseeTennessee politics