88135 is a Republican stronghold. About 23% of voters here vote Democratic and 77% Republican.
About 58% of adults in 88135 typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 88135, ~13% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~42% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 88135 compares
Among zip codes within 15 miles, 88135 leans more Republican than 2 of 3 neighbors.
88135 runs about 61 points more Republican than New Mexico as a whole. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while 88135 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 88135. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+86) and the southeast side is the least Republican-leaning (R+45), a spread of about 41 points.
Why 88135 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 88135, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Car-dependent areas vote Republican. About 87% of residents in 88135 drive to work alone, about 13 points above the U.S. average of 74%. 88135 runs against the grain of New Mexico, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Park access and Republican lean
Places with low park coverage tend to lean Republican; 88135, NM sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure. Park access does not change how people vote; it tends to track denser, higher-income areas.
Why turnout in 88135 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 88135 is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. High food insecurity lines up with lower turnout, and about 23% of adults in 88135 report food insecurity, above 86% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 79% of adults in 88135 have completed high school, below 92% 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 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.