Criminal Court Judge Division I, District 30, Unexpired Term
Shelby County, Tennessee
My vote power
Above average
Election date
August 6, 2026 · General election
How do we calculate my vote power?
What goes into the rating: Representation: how much weight one vote carries here compared with a statewide vote — the smaller the district, the more each vote counts. Decisiveness: how likely this race is to be close, based on past results or current analyst ratings, plus the number of candidates.
Representation: Above average · 59 out of 100
This district is a good deal smaller than its state, so each vote here carries more weight than a vote in a statewide race. About 919,173 people live here.
Show the representation math
score = 50 + 50 × ln(state population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50 + 50 × ln(7,066,383 ÷ 919,173) ÷ ln(50,000) = 59.43, measured against a statewide vote in TN (grades: 66+ high, 55+ above average, 33+ average, otherwise low; a statewide race is the 50 baseline)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No analyst ratings or past results for this contest yet.
Above average representation → My vote power: Above average.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information.
About this office
- Deciding trials in the county
- Ruling on evidence and setting sentences in criminal cases
- Deciding family, probate, and civil disputes
Affects: Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Civil Rights,
Candidates
Jahari Dowdy
WonNonpartisan · won
Jahari Dowdy is an active Tennessee attorney practicing in Shelby County. She has been licensed in Tennessee since 2005, graduated from Southern University Law Center, and appears as defense counsel in current federal court records.
Records: Legal Competence 2 against
Ray Lepone
LostNonpartisan · Incumbent · lost
Ray Lepone serves as the Division I judge of the Shelby County Criminal Court in Tennessee's 30th Judicial District. Before joining the bench in 2025, he served as a Tennessee assistant attorney general, a deputy and assistant Shelby County district attorney, and a Juvenile Court magistrate. He earned degrees from Kennesaw State University and the University of Memphis law school.
Records: Legal Competence 1 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 1 for
Results
Won · Certified
Winner: Jahari Dowdy (Nonpartisan)
Source: electionsshelbytn.gov · researched September 12, 2026
Sources: electionsshelbytn.gov234