Tennessee Democratic Party Prohibits Incumbent Democratic Representative From Running as a Democrat
Apr 10, 2020
In a rather shocking move, the executive committee of Tennessee’s Democratic Party voted overwhelmingly this week to prohibit incumbent state Representative John DeBerry (Memphis) from running for re-election on the Democratic ticket.
Rep. DeBerry has served for 26 years, and for 12 of them, he served under the House’s Democrat leadership as a committee chairman. Rep. DeBerry had committed a number of “evils” in recent years, most recently voting for Governor Lee’s education scholarship legislation benefitting children in Memphis stuck in terrible schools and the fetal heartbeat legislation.
FACT’s president, David Fowler, had this to say about Rep. DeBerry and the party’s decision: “John DeBerry is one of the finest Christian gentlemen I have ever met and whose convictions, drawn from his Christian beliefs, never waivered. He always sought with integrity to apply them to whatever particular issue was before him. That there is no place in the Democratic Party for a person of John DeBerry‘s character and belief system and who has served this state so well for so long is an indictment of the Democratic Party, not John DeBerry. In my view, it is shortsighted on the part of the party and will ensure that it remains a small minority in our state legislature. If he does not choose to run as an independent and win, I will miss the Christian fellowship I had with him.”
Tennessee Democratic Party Removes State Rep From Ballot
US News & World Report
Tennessee Democratic Party removes Rep. John DeBerry from ballot as a Democratic candidate
Commercial Appeal
Memphis lawmaker says he was ousted because he refused to be ‘brainless idiot’ for Democratic Party
Commercial Appeal
NOTE: FACT provides links to external websites for educational purposes only. The inclusion of any links to other websites does not necessarily constitute an endorsement.
Rep. DeBerry has served for 26 years, and for 12 of them, he served under the House’s Democrat leadership as a committee chairman. Rep. DeBerry had committed a number of “evils” in recent years, most recently voting for Governor Lee’s education scholarship legislation benefitting children in Memphis stuck in terrible schools and the fetal heartbeat legislation.
FACT’s president, David Fowler, had this to say about Rep. DeBerry and the party’s decision: “John DeBerry is one of the finest Christian gentlemen I have ever met and whose convictions, drawn from his Christian beliefs, never waivered. He always sought with integrity to apply them to whatever particular issue was before him. That there is no place in the Democratic Party for a person of John DeBerry‘s character and belief system and who has served this state so well for so long is an indictment of the Democratic Party, not John DeBerry. In my view, it is shortsighted on the part of the party and will ensure that it remains a small minority in our state legislature. If he does not choose to run as an independent and win, I will miss the Christian fellowship I had with him.”
News Sources
Tennessee Democratic Party Removes State Rep From BallotUS News & World Report
Tennessee Democratic Party removes Rep. John DeBerry from ballot as a Democratic candidate
Commercial Appeal
Memphis lawmaker says he was ousted because he refused to be ‘brainless idiot’ for Democratic Party
Commercial Appeal
NOTE: FACT provides links to external websites for educational purposes only. The inclusion of any links to other websites does not necessarily constitute an endorsement.
