Tennessee Senate District 31
August 6, 2026 · State Senate District 31; Tennessee · State senate district · primary
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: High · 77 out of 100
Smaller districts give each vote more weight, and this district is small for its type. About 203,907 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(228,447 ÷ 203,907) ÷ ln(228,447 ÷ 197,150) = 77.13, comparing state senate districts in TN (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
High representation + unknown decisiveness → High vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
State Senator is responsible for:
- Voting on state laws and the state budget
- Representing their district in the state senate
- Confirming certain governor appointments in many states
- Helping district residents deal with state agencies
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Reduce Wealth Gap, Anti-Corruption, Government Efficiency, Healthcare Affordability, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Social Programs and Welfare, Public Education Quality, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights, Election Integrity, Personal Income Tax Reduction, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Corporate Accountability, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Brent Taylor
Republican · Incumbent · declared
Brent Taylor is the Republican member of the Tennessee Senate for District 31, which covers part of Shelby County. He assumed office on January 10, 2023, succeeding Brian Kelsey. Taylor is a funeral director who holds an associate of science degree in mortuary science from Northwest Mississippi Community College, and he lives in Eads, Tennessee. He qualified for re-election on the August 6, 2026 Republican primary ballot for Senate District 31, and in May 2026 also announced a campaign for Tennessee's redrawn 9th congressional district.
Records: Anti-Corruption 2 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 3 for
David Weatherspoon
Democratic · declared
David Weatherspoon is the Democratic candidate for Tennessee Senate District 31 on the August 6, 2026 primary ballot. He is a chaplain who has served as a college chaplain at Franklin College in Indiana and as a pediatric chaplain in Tennessee. He grew up on a farm in Hickman County, Tennessee, holds a bachelor's degree in religion and education from Belmont University, and earned a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry from Mercer University's McAfee School of Theology. He lives in Germantown, in Shelby County. He has not previously held elected public office.
Election sources
Source: electionsshelbytn.gov
Source: sos.tn.gov