Star Staff Reports
This Saturday the Early Voting period wraps at the Baker Community Center.
Since May 26, voters have had a chance to cast an early ballot for the June 15 special primary election to choose a “permanent” state representative for Tennessee House District 86.
For just about two weeks, voters in the district have had a chance to cast a ballot at the Baker Community Center located at 7942 Church Street.
The hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. A special general election will be conducted on Aug. 3.
District 86 extends along the Mississippi River from southwest Memphis through the downtown area and includes Millington.
On April 18, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee filed a Writ of Election with Secretary of State Tre’ Hargett’s office that set the primary and general election dates.
That same day, the Shelby County Election Commission began issuing qualifying petitions for the primary election. The deadline for filing petitions was noon on May 4.
The last day that the Commission will accept an application for an absentee ballot is June 8.
Candidates whose petitions were approved for the Democratic primary are David Page and Justin J. Pearson.
No one filed a qualifying petition for the Republican primary election.
Pearson was sworn in on April 13 as District 86 “interim” state representative one week after he was expelled by the Tennessee House of Representatives.
By a 7-0 vote during an April 12 special called meeting, the Shelby County Commission made the temporary appointment to fill the vacancy.
The six other commissioners were not present at the meeting.
Pearson was one of two state representatives expelled for “disorderly behavior” after they brought a bullhorn to the “well” of the House chamber on March 30 and led chants for gun control legislation with supporters in the Gallery.
That was three days after three 9-year-old students and three staff members of the Covenant School in Nashville were killed by a woman using an assault rifle.
On Jan. 24, Pearson won a special Democratic primary election to replace deceased District 86 State Rep. Barbara Cooper, D-Memphis.
Defeating nine other candidates on the ballot, he received 1,235 of the 2,360 total votes cast. No one filed a qualifying petition for the Republican primary election, so Pearson was the only candidate on the ballot for the March 14 special general election. He was initially sworn in as District 86 representative on March 27.
