Sheriff
Rutherford 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 · 63 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 360,646 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 ÷ 360,646) ÷ ln(50,000) = 63.75, 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
- Running police patrols and deputies in the county
- Running the county jail
- Carrying out evictions, warrants, and other court orders
Affects: Immigration, Public Safety and Crime Control, Gun Control,
Candidates
James Rankin
LostIndependent · lost
James Rankin is an independent candidate for Rutherford County Sheriff.
Republican · won
Kenneth Barrett is the Republican nominee for Rutherford County Sheriff and a Patrol Lieutenant with the Sheriff's Office.
Kevin Dodds
LostIndependent · lost
Kevin Dodds is an independent candidate for Rutherford County Sheriff with a law-enforcement background.
Results
Won · Certified
Winner: Kenneth Barrett (Republican)
Source: secured.rutherfordcountytn.gov · researched September 12, 2026
Sources: rutherfordcountytn.gov · secured.rutherfordcountytn.gov