Gloria Johnson (politician)

Gloria Johnson (born May 25, 1962) is an American politician and Democratic member of the Tennessee House of Representatives currently representing District 90, and formerly District 13, based in Knoxville. In April 2023, she and two other state representatives faced expulsion votes from the Tennessee General Assembly after taking to the floor of the State House unrecognized to protest gun violence. Johnson was the only one of the three legislators not to be expelled. Johnson is currently seeking the Democratic Party nomination for the 2024 United States Senate election in Tennessee currently held by incumbent Republican Marsha Blackburn.

Tennessee House of Representatives
In 2012, Johnson was elected to represent District 13 in the Tennessee House of Representatives. She lost re-election to Eddie Smith in 2014. Following a failed attempt in 2016, Johnson defeated Smith in 2018. She was re-elected in 2020. Following redistricting, Johnson's residence became located in District 15, which already had a Democratic incumbent. Because of this, Johnson moved to District 90 and won the seat in 2022.

In January 2021, Johnson was assigned a small, windowless conference room for use as her office in the Cordell Hull State Office Building. Johnson disagreed with the room she was given, and alleged her assignment to it was retribution from State House Speaker Cameron Sexton after she was the only representative to abstain from voting for Sexton in the speakership election. Johnson instead moved her desk to the hallway outside and gave the room to her assistant, who was originally given a non-connecting closet for her office. In 2022, following a year-long campaign, she was assigned a new office space, subsequent to an ADA compliance complaint.

Following reportage of Rutherford County, Tennessee juvenile arrest and incarceration scandal, in January 2022, with Senator Heidi Campbell, she filed a joint resolution to remove juvenile court Judge Donna Scott Davenport from the bench.

Expulsion vote
During a legislative session three days after the 2023 Covenant School shooting, Johnson and fellow Democratic representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson led a gun control protest on the House floor. Later dubbed the "Tennessee Three", the trio interrupted House proceedings with their demonstration as thousands protested outside of the building. The demonstration violated the chamber's decorum rules, as the three members were not recognized to speak and utilized a bullhorn.

Subsequently, House leadership stripped Johnson and Jones of their committee assignments (Pearson did not serve on any committees), and resolutions to expel the three were drawn up. During her interview with Mother Jones a day before her expulsion vote, Johnson accused House Republicans of fascism and said she believed Tennessee was less democratic than North Korea. Jones and Pearson were expelled while Johnson avoided expulsion by the margin of a single vote. The expulsion vote gathered national attention for the three Democratic lawmakers, including praise from Vice President Kamala Harris during a speech at Fisk University following the vote.

U.S. Senate campaign
In late July 2023, it was reported Johnson would launch a campaign the following month to challenge Senator Marsha Blackburn in the 2024 election. In early August, Johnson launched an exploratory committee in preparation for a Senate run. On September 5, Johnson formally launched her senate campaign.

In March 2024, Grammy-winning vocalists Brandi Carlile, Emmylou Harris, Maren Morris, and Allison Russell, along with more than 30 other artists, came together to record and release a new "soul anthem" called Tennessee Rise in support of Johnson's senate campaign.