History of Justin Jones (Tennessee politician) in Timeline

Justin Jones is a Democratic politician and activist serving in the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 52. Noted as the second youngest member of the Tennessee House and the youngest Democratic lawmaker as of 2025, he gained national attention after being expelled in April 2023 for protesting gun violence on the House floor following a school shooting. Jones was swiftly reinstated by the Nashville Metro Council and subsequently won a special election in August 2023, and a second term in November 2024, reaffirming his position in the legislature.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

August 25, 1995: Justin Jones Born

On August 25, 1995, Justin Jones was born. He is an American activist and politician from Tennessee.

October 2018: Arrest at Marsha Blackburn rally

In October 2018, Justin Jones was arrested for refusing to leave a rally held by Marsha Blackburn.

2019: Candidacy announcement

In 2019, Justin Jones announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in Tennessee's 5th congressional district.

2019: Campaign for Forrest bust removal

In 2019, Justin Jones campaigned for the removal of a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Tennessee State Capitol.

2019: Assault Charge and Capitol Ban

In 2019, Justin Jones was charged with assaulting Glen Casada and banned from the Capitol. The charges were later dropped.

July 2020: Assault charge with bullhorn

In July 2020, Justin Jones was accused of hitting a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper with a bullhorn.

2020: Failed ballot submission

In 2020, Justin Jones did not submit enough valid signatures to make the ballot for the United States House of Representatives election in Tennessee's 5th congressional district.

July 2021: Charges Dropped

In July 2021, many charges against Justin Jones related to protests were dropped, but reckless endangerment charges remained.

2022: Election to the 52nd district

In 2022, Justin Jones successfully ran to succeed State Representative Mike Stewart as the member of the Tennessee House for the 52nd district, winning both the Democratic primary against Delishia Porterfield and the general election.

March 2023: Covenant School Shooting Protest

After the March 2023 Covenant School shooting, Justin Jones joined a protest for gun control reform, disrupting House proceedings. He was later removed from his committees. On April 5, Rep. Jones filed a police report after he was allegedly assaulted on the House floor by Rep. Justin Lafferty. Jones also accused Representative Sabi "Doc" Kumar of putting a "brown face to white supremacy".

April 2023: Expulsion from Tennessee House

In April 2023, Justin Jones was expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives for violating decorum rules by leading a gun control protest on the House floor after the 2023 Covenant school shooting.

April 2023: Assault charge dismissed

In April 2023, an assault charge against Justin Jones, regarding allegedly hitting a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper with a bullhorn in July 2020, was dismissed by a judge.

August 2023: Special Election Win

In August 2023, Justin Jones won a special election to continue serving as a full member of the Tennessee House of Representatives after being reinstated as an interim representative.

January 10, 2024: Penalized under new rule

On January 10, 2024, Justin Jones became the first lawmaker penalized under a new rule for being ruled out of order, after he described Speaker Cameron Sexton as "drunk with power."

January 30, 2024: Staffer Confrontation

On January 30, 2024, a Tennessee legislative staffer was placed on leave after confronting Justin Jones in the hallway, yelling at him until another lawmaker intervened.

November 2024: Second Term Election Win

In November 2024, Justin Jones won his second term in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

2024: Omission from Democratic National Convention

In 2024, Justin Jones, along with Rep. Justin J. Pearson and Rep. Gloria Johnson, were scheduled to speak at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago but were omitted with no explanation, possibly due to the convention program running behind schedule.