Tennessee Senate District 5
August 6, 2026 · State Senate District 5; 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: Average · 55 out of 100
This district is mid-sized for its type, so each vote carries average weight. About 210,629 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(228,447 ÷ 210,629) ÷ ln(228,447 ÷ 197,150) = 55.11, comparing state senate districts in TN (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Average representation + unknown decisiveness → Average 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
David Miller
Democratic · declared
David Miller is the Democratic candidate for Tennessee Senate District 5 and the elected Anderson County Board of Education member for District 8. A retired educator with more than 35 years of experience, he taught in public schools, correctional facilities, a drug-abuse prevention center, and English-as-a-second-language programs and chaired a special-education department.
Records: Corporate Accountability 1 for, Government Efficiency 2 for, Healthcare Affordability 1 for, Housing Affordability 1 for, Public Education Quality 6 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 2 for, Reduce Wealth Gap 1 for, Social Programs and Welfare 1 for
Jimmy Matlock
Republican · declared
Jimmy Matlock is the Republican candidate for Tennessee Senate District 5, a Tennessee Higher Education Commission member, a Tellico Reservoir Development Agency board member, and the owner of Matlock Tire Service. He represented House District 21 from 2007 through 2019 and chaired the House Transportation Committee.
Records: Anti-Corruption 1 for, Corporate Accountability 1 for, Data Privacy 1 for, Election Integrity 2 for, Government Efficiency 5 for, Public Education Quality 1 for, Public Infrastructure 4 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 4 for
Election sources
Source: acelection.com
Source: loudoncountyvotes.com
Source: ballotready.org