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John J. Deberry Jr
Office history
County Mayor
— Shelby County, TN
2026
R primary
general
Current office and 2026 campaign
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None listed in sources.
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Republican candidate for Shelby County Mayor. (Local Memphis)
- Officially announced his candidacy on February 12, 2026, after filing a petition. (Local Memphis)
- Received the full support of the Republican Party of Shelby County. (Local Memphis)
- Previously considered running for Tennessee governor, traveling the state to gauge support before being asked by Shelby County GOP leaders to run for mayor. (Daily Memphian)
Background and education
- Graduate of Freed-Hardeman University. (Local Memphis)
- Graduate of the University of Memphis. (Local Memphis)
Office history
- Served in the Tennessee State House representing District 90 for more than two decades, from the 99th through 107th General Assemblies. (Local Memphis)
- Served as a committee chairman for 12 years. (Local Memphis)
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Appointed senior advisor to Governor Bill Lee in November 2020; stepped down from this role to focus on his mayoral campaign. (Local Memphis)
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Previously served as a Democrat. (Local Memphis)
- Was removed from the Democratic Party ballot in 2020 by the Tennessee Democratic Party's executive committee; ran as an independent but lost to Torey Harris. (Local Memphis)
- Known for voting against his former party on issues including abortion, school choice, and a controversial school voucher bill in 2020. (Local Memphis)
- Gained national attention in 2018 for introducing a bill to ban fraternities and sororities on Tennessee college campuses. (Local Memphis)
Business interests and wealth source
- 2026 — County Mayor (SS-8005) — filed as a Shelby County official/candidate
- 2025 — Member-Governors Cabinet (SS-8004) — filed as a state official/candidate
- 2024 — Member-Governors Cabinet (SS-8004) — filed as a state official/candidate
Source: Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest Search. Scraped 2026-04-25.
Family
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Wife Maria. (Local Memphis)
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Described as a pastor. (Local Memphis)
- Age 75 as of February 2026. (Local Memphis)
- Has a history with the Civil Rights Movement, stating he marched with his father alongside Dr. King, and has met with civil rights icon Jesse Jackson. (Local Memphis)
Compiled from publicly available web sources on 2026-04-18.
Public filings
Candidates and officeholders are required by law to file campaign finance reports and statements of economic interest. The sites below don't support direct links to an individual record — search by last name on each.
Tennessee — Shelby County campaign finance (Shelby County Mayor)
- Deberry, John - CFD - 1st Quarter 2026 AMENDED — filed 04/29/26
- Deberry, John - CFD - Pre-Primary 2026 — filed 04/28/26
- Deberry, Jr., John J. - CFD - 1st Quarter 2026 — filed 04/10/26
- Deberry, John - Appointment of Treasurer 2026.pdf — filed 02/26/26
Tennessee — campaign finance (search)
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State offices (Governor, TN Senate, TN House, State Executive Committee, statewide judiciary) —
Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.
Click Search for Candidates and PACs, enter last name “Deberry”, and submit.
US House, US Senate, and Presidential candidates file with the FEC — see the federal section below.
Tennessee — statement of interest
- Required for state and local officials and candidates — Tennessee Ethics Commission Conflict of Interest Search. Enter last name “Deberry”and, if needed, select the applicable position.
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