Public Defender, 20th Judicial District
Davidson County, Tennessee
My vote power
Below 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 · 60 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 715,388 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 ÷ 715,388) ÷ ln(50,000) = 60.58, 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: None · only 1 candidate
One candidate is running unopposed, so votes can't change the outcome.
Above average representation + an uncontested race → My vote power: Below average.
About this office
- Defending people charged with crimes who cannot afford a lawyer
- Making sure every defendant gets the fair defense the Constitution promises
- Running the office of defense lawyers and investigators
Affects: Immigration, Public Safety and Crime Control, Civil Rights,
Candidates
Democratic · Incumbent · won
Martesha Johnson Moore is the incumbent Metropolitan Chief Public Defender and the Democratic nominee for another term. She was first sworn into the elected office in 2018 after a career in public defense and won the May 2026 county primary without named opposition.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for, Legal Competence 1 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 1 for
Results
Won · Certified
Winner: Martesha Johnson (Democratic)
Source: nashville.gov · researched September 12, 2026
Won · Unofficial
Winner: Martesha Johnson (Democratic)
Source: services2.arcgis.com · researched September 12, 2026
Sources: nashville.gov234