26585 is a Republican stronghold. About 20% of voters here vote Democratic and 80% Republican.
About 47% of adults in 26585 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 26585, ~9% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~53% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 26585 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 26585 leans more Republican than 17 of 26 neighbors.
26585 runs about 17 points more Republican than West Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 26585. The west side is the most Republican-leaning (R+70) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+55), a spread of about 15 points.
Why 26585 leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per zip code to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for 26585, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 5% of adults in 26585 hold a bachelor's degree, about 12 points below the West Virginia average of 17%. Rural areas vote Republican, and 26585 sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 6%, below 78% of zip codes). A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 74% of households in 26585 are family households, above 77% of zip codes.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with limited routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a lower rate; 26585, WV sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Dental visits do not drive turnout; the rate reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access, which line up with who votes.
Why turnout in 26585 looks the way it does
Areas with high food insecurity turn out at lower rates. About 22% of adults in 26585 report food insecurity, about 6 points above the U.S. average of 16%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and 26585 sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 85% of adults in 26585 have completed high school, below 81% of zip codes. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Zip Codes
Zip Codes with Similar Populations
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from West Virginia Secretary of State, Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.