Tennessee Senate District 9
State Senate District 9; Tennessee
My vote power
Below average
Election date
August 6, 2026 · Primary 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: High · 66 out of 100
This district is a small slice of its state, so each vote here carries much more weight than a vote in a statewide race. About 215,373 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 ÷ 215,373) ÷ ln(50,000) = 66.13, 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.
High representation + an uncontested race → My vote power: Below average.
About this office
- Voting on how much you pay in state taxes
- Voting on how much money your local public schools get
- Voting on which roads and highways get built or repaired
Affects: AI Regulation, Healthcare Affordability, Environment and Public Health,
Candidates
Republican · Incumbent · declared
Steve Southerland is a mortgage broker from Morristown, born in 1955, who attended Walters State Community College. He is Vice-Chair of the Joint Judiciary and Government committee and 2nd Vice-Chair of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.
Records: Civil Rights 2 for, 3 against, Corporate Accountability 3 for, Social Programs and Welfare 3 for,
Sources: cockecountyelections.org2 · ballotready.org