88253 is a Republican stronghold. About 17% of voters here vote Democratic and 83% Republican.
About 37% of adults in 88253 typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in 88253, ~6% vote Democratic, ~31% Republican, and ~63% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How 88253 compares
88253 sits in a sparsely populated area with few comparable zip codes nearby.
88253 runs about 71 points more Republican than New Mexico as a whole. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while 88253 is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by block within 88253. The south side is the most Republican-leaning (R+78) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+59), a spread of about 19 points.
Why 88253 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 88253, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 2% of residents in 88253 live in densely developed areas, about 16 points below the New Mexico average of 18%. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 80% of households in 88253 are family households, above 91% of zip codes. 88253 runs against the grain of New Mexico, a Republican-leaning pocket in a Democratic-leaning state.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; 88253, NM sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in 88253 looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. 88253 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 88253 report food insecurity, above 85% of zip codes. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 82% of adults in 88253 have completed high school, below 87% 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.