Rep. John DeBerry, formerly a Democrat, says he is filing to run as an independent

Rep. John DeBerry, the longtime Memphis Democrat who was ousted from the party this spring, says he will file to run as an independent now that the legislature has amended election rules to allow him to do so.

DeBerry, who had filed on time to run as a Democrat and received the necessary petition signatures, was subsequently removed from the ballot after the Tennessee Democratic Party's executive committee voted to disqualify him from the ballot.

The statewide committee took issue with DeBerry's voting record, which often aligned with Republicans on issues such as abortion and school choice, and his history of accepting donations from GOP-aligned political action committees. Its vote to remove him from the ballot came after the filing deadline had passed, preventing DeBerry from filing again under another party.

"My colleagues have encouraged me, the folks in my district have encouraged me," DeBerry said of his decision to run on a different ballot. "They feel violated, and for that reason, I'm going to file as an independent."

The legislation, House Bill 1278 and Senate Bill 1009, has passed in both chambers and is awaiting Gov. Bill Lee's signature.

It allows an incumbent in DeBerry's position to file on the opposing party's ballot at least 90 days before the primary election — which does not leave DeBerry enough time to file on the Republican ticket for this year — or 90 days before the general election if running as an independent.

DeBerry, who has been elected as a Democrat to his seat in 13 consecutive elections, this spring unsuccessfully appealed with the state party committee to reverse its decision.

"I know I'm coming toward the end of it to do other things, but I want to end it on the note I decide and not someone else deciding for me," DeBerry said.

Three Democrats are running in the August primary for the seat: Torrey Harris, Anya Parker and Catrina Smith.

DeBerry called them "very fine young people," and said if he is not elected to the seat as an independent, he will support the winner.

If DeBerry wins the race, it remains to be seen whether he will caucus as a Democrat or Republican. The majority of the House Democratic Caucus supported the legislation that would allow DeBerry to file on another ticket, and multiple members of the Black Caucus spoke in support of him to the state party's executive committee.

"I'm going to try to do what I've always done, and that is build a consensus," DeBerry said. "To try to work on both sides of the aisle and try to make some sense of it."

He said he did not have an "obligation" to attend Democratic caucus meetings in the future, and neither ruled out attempting to caucus as a Republican, as Sen. Rosalind Kurita, I-Clarksville, did last year upon an invitation from the Senate GOP Caucus.

"Being an independent I can decide on that then," DeBerry said of aligning with the House GOP Caucus. "And I hopefully, if I'm so fortunate, then I will be talking with them also."

Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.

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