Brule County is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 66% of adults in Brule County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Brule County, ~16% vote Democratic, ~50% Republican, and ~34% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Brule County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Brule County leans more Republican than 3 of 7 neighbors.
Brule County runs about 23 points more Republican than South Dakota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Brule County. The east side is the most Republican-leaning (R+65) and the northwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+41), a spread of about 24 points.
Why Brule County leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per county to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Brule County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 9% of residents in Brule County live in densely developed areas, about 28 points below the U.S. average of 36%.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Brule County, SD sits below the national average on this measure.
Why turnout in Brule County looks the way it does
Turnout in Brule County sits close to the national pattern. Routine healthcare access, homeownership, education, and food security all land near their national averages here. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Buffalo County, SD D+24
- Lyman County, SD R+5
- Aurora County, SD R+59
- Jerauld County, SD R+48
- Gregory County, SD R+65
- Tripp County, SD R+58
- Douglas County, SD R+68
- Charles Mix County, SD R+39
- Hand County, SD R+62
- Hyde County, SD R+60
Counties with Similar Populations
- Stevens County, KS R+73
- Alexander County, IL R+4
- Dewey County, SD D+30
- Martin County, TX R+68
- Aleutians West Census Area, AK Even
- Delta County, TX R+68
- Coal County, OK R+68
- Warren County, GA D+15
- Polk County, NE R+62
- Hansford County, TX R+68
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from South Dakota 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.