I have known John Deberry, my current State Representative for District 90, for many years. He is a nice man, a minister when he is not in the Legislature. I supported him for Senate District 29 in a special election several years ago, which he lost to Ophelia Ford.
He had a reputation as a social conservative then and still does. A lot of bills he supported then were quashed when Democrats controlled the legislature, and for good reason. On fiscal issues, he voted with the Democrats, as he should have.
Then, 2010 happened, redistricting happened, and in the GOP rush to eliminate as many white Democrats as possible, they threw Deberry in with Jeanne Richardson, wiping out her old District 89 in the process. Something else happened as well: pro-"education reform" advocates began to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on Deberry's behalf. That, combined with the removal of most of Richardson's support from the new district, ensured that Deberry would be elected with ease, and he was.
Since then, he has voted with the GOP more often than not, hardly reflecting the values of his district, which is a damn shame. It is time for a change, and we have a way to make that change.
Activist Tami Sawyer filed today for House District 90, and I am proud to announce my support for her. Educator, veteran, entrepreneur, she does it all, serving on boards of civic organizations like the local branch of Planned Parenthood, and working with other organizations such as The Links and Hattiloo Theatre.
I believe Tami Sawyer more accurately reflects the values of the entire district, and I wholeheartedly support her for this race. I hope that you will as well.
For more information, please visit her website at http://www.tamifortennessee.com/.
