88120 is a Republican stronghold. About 11% of voters here vote Democratic and 89% Republican.
About 54% of adults in 88120 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 88120, ~6% vote Democratic, ~48% Republican, and ~46% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 88120 compares
88120 runs about 85 points more Republican than New Mexico as a whole. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while 88120 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 88120. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+82) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+63), a spread of about 19 points.
Why 88120 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 88120, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
88120 votes against the grain of New Mexico. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while 88120 runs about 85 points more Republican. Rural areas vote Republican, and 88120 sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 3%, below 93% of zip codes).
Developed land and Republican lean
Places with a rural land-use pattern tend to lean Republican; 88120, NM sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Developed land does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in 88120 looks the way it does
Crowded housing lines up with lower turnout. About 8% of homes in 88120 have more than one occupant per room, above 94% of zip codes. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 40% of households in 88120 rent, about 15 points above the U.S. average of 25%. 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 New Mexico Secretary of State, Bureau of 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.