Criminal Court Judge Division III, 20th Judicial District, Unexpired Term
August 6, 2026 · Davidson County, Tennessee · County · 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 · 4 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 715,388 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(919,173 ÷ 715,388) ÷ ln(919,173 ÷ 5,079) = 4.82, comparing counties 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.
This office is responsible for:
- Hearing trials — criminal cases, lawsuits, family, or probate matters, depending on the court
- Ruling on evidence, motions, and sentences
- Applying state law and court procedure fairly in every case
Affected Areas: Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Civil Rights, Impartiality, Legal Competence
Candidates
Dawn Deaner
Democratic · declared
Dawn Deaner is the Democratic nominee for Criminal Court Judge, Division III, in Tennessee's 20th Judicial District. A former elected Metropolitan Public Defender and founder of the Choosing Justice Initiative, she won the May 2026 Davidson County primary and is not the incumbent judge.
Records: Civil Rights 2 for, Legal Competence 2 for
Election sources
Source: nashville.gov
Source: nashville.gov
Source: nashville.gov
Source: nashville.gov