Hamilton County Board of Education, District 5
August 6, 2026 · Hamilton County School District, Tennessee · School district · general
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: Low · 10 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 376,192 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(724,876 ÷ 376,192) ÷ ln(724,876 ÷ 1,173) = 10.21, comparing unified school districts in TN (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: None · only 1 candidate
One candidate is running unopposed, so votes can't change the outcome.
Low representation + an uncontested race → Very low vote impact.
School Board Member is responsible for:
- Setting policy for the school district
- Approving the district budget and spending
- Hiring and reviewing the superintendent
- Deciding school boundaries, calendars, and curriculum choices within state rules
Affected Areas: Government Efficiency, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Public Education Quality, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Thessela White
Democratic · declared
Thessela White is the Democratic nominee for the Hamilton County (Tennessee) Board of Education, District 5, in the August 2026 general election. Thessela has not previously held elected office.
Election sources
Source: elect.hamiltontn.gov
Source: wfyi.org