2022 election

In 2022, Jones ran to succeed State Representative Mike Stewart as the member of the Tennessee House for the 52nd district.^[17] Jones defeated Delishia Porterfield, a member of the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County, in the Democratic Party primary election.^[18] He won the general election without opposition.^[19][20]

Protest and expulsion

After the March 2023 Covenant School shooting, Jones joined a protest alongside Gloria Johnson and Justin J. Pearson for gun control reform that disrupted House proceedings at the state capitol.^[21] The demonstration violated the chamber's decorum rules, as the three members were not recognized to speak and utilized a bullhorn.^[22] He was removed from his committees as a result.^[23][24] On April 5, Rep. Jones filed a police report after he was allegedly assaulted on the House floor by Rep. Justin Lafferty.^[25] Prior to his expulsion vote, Jones accused Representative Sabi "Doc" Kumar of putting a "brown face to white supremacy"; Kumar also stated that Jones had pointed in his face and told him, "Kumar, they will never accept you."^[26]

The Tennessee House voted on April 6, to expel Jones, alongside Pearson, who are both black. Johnson, who is white, survived by one vote.^[27] Johnson argued that her race was the reason she was not expelled,^[28] while Republican members noted that she did not take the protest as far as Jones and Pearson.^[29] The resolution, HR 65, was sponsored by Bud Hulsey and co-sponsored by Gino Bulso, Andrew Farmer, and Johnny Garrett; it passed with a vote of 72–25.^[30] The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County set a meeting to discuss an interim appointment to the vacant District 52 on April 10.^[31][32] Jones was appointed interim representative to his former seat by a unanimous vote of 36–0.^[2]

On April 24, Jones, alongside Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson, were received by President Joe Biden at the White House.^[33] During his appearance at Netroots Nation in July, Jones accused House leadership of fascism, and stated his belief that the heirs of the Ku Klux Klan run the state government.^[34]

Aftermath

On January 10, 2024, Jones became the first lawmaker penalized under a new rule that allows the Tennessee legislature to vote to silence, for the remainder of the day, any lawmaker who is ruled out of order. The rule was evoked against Jones after he described Speaker Cameron Sexton as “drunk with power.”^[35]

On January 30, 2024, a Tennessee legislative staffer was placed on leave after confronting Jones in the hallway and yelling at him until another lawmaker intervened.^[36]