State Senator, District 16
August 18, 2026 · State Senate District 16; Florida · 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: High · 76 out of 100
Smaller districts give each vote more weight, and this district is small for its type. About 547,085 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(591,991 ÷ 547,085) ÷ ln(591,991 ÷ 534,137) = 76.71, comparing state senate districts in FL (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
High representation + unknown decisiveness → High 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
Fentrice Driskell
Democratic · declared
Fentrice Driskell is a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives for District 67 (Hillsborough County) and has served as House Democratic (Minority) Leader since 2023. An attorney, she is running in the August 2026 Democratic primary for the open Florida Senate District 16 seat.
Michele K. Rayner
Democratic · declared
Michele K. Rayner (Rayner-Goolsby) is a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives for District 62 (Pinellas County), first elected in 2020 as the first openly queer Black member of the Florida Legislature. An attorney and civil-rights advocate, she is running in the August 2026 Democratic primary for the open Florida Senate District 16 seat.
Election sources
Source: dos.elections.myflorida.com