Memphis Senate candidate admits to sending unsolicited nudes

State Sen. Brent Taylor acknowledged on Tuesday that he sent unsolicited nude photos of himself to multiple women.

Taylor, 58, is the Republican candidate for Tennessee’s new 9th Congressional District. He confirmed the exchanges occurred as recently as 2021. When asked for details, he declined to specify the number of recipients or the frequency of the messages. “It really doesn’t matter whether it was one or 21, one was too many,” Taylor said. “I’m willing to be held accountable.”

The candidate described the extramarital sexting as a “youthful indiscretion.” He stated that he and his wife have processed the incident and moved forward. Taylor noted that his wife is reliving the situation publicly due to the political timing. “Tennesseans are not interested in the pain that is occurring in my family; they’re more interested in the pain that occurs in their family,” he said.

His opponent, state Rep. Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis, criticized the behavior on social media. Pearson called the actions predatory and said Tennessee needs leaders who respect women. The two candidates are competing in a district that Republicans redrew to favor their party. Taylor is running to make the Memphis area district red.

Taylor spoke at a GOP rally in Williamson County on Tuesday. He stood beside representatives from Minnesota and North Carolina. The group urged voters to choose Republican candidates to defeat socialism. Taylor told the crowd, “Do we want confidence, or do we want chaos? Do we want communism, or do we want to have common sense in Congress?”

Early voting ends on Thursday, Oct. 29. Election Day is set for Nov. 3.