Democratic Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson of the ‘Tennessee Three’ launches U.S. Senate campaign

Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) announced her intention to run for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.

Johnson officially launched her campaign at a rally in front of her Tennesseans in Nashville, where she criticized incumbent Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn for “working for corporations, billionaires and special interests.”

“Why do we not have common sense gun legislation?” Johnson asked the crowd. “Like safe storage laws, universal background checks red flag laws. Because she [Blackburn] gets millions from the NRA (National Rifle Association).”

Tennessee State Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), one of the Tennessee Three, announces her run for U.S. Senate against Republican Marsha Blackburn. pic.twitter.com/JxMsyEk39G

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) September 5, 2023

Johnson is a retired special education teacher who has served in the Tennessee House of Representatives on and off since 2013. Earlier this year, Johnson faced expulsion from the Legislature after she and her colleagues, state Reps. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) and Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), protested for gun reform on the House floor.

Johnson (who is white) retained her position, but Jones and Pearson (who are Black) were expelled by the Republican-dominated legislature in April. Both men won special elections last month and were reinstated in full quickly thereafter.

Should Johnson win the Democratic primary on March 5, 2024, she would likely face Blackburn in the November general election. Blackburn is vying for her second term in the U.S. Senate, and her career has been full of controversial opinions. She a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump and his false election claims from 2020. She also opposes abortion and same-sex marriage, and she denies the scientific consensus on climate change.

The Cook Political Report in May rated Blackburn’s seat as “solid” Republican.