Capitan is a Republican stronghold. About 23% of voters here vote Democratic and 77% Republican.
About 67% of adults in Capitan typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Capitan, ~15% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Capitan compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Capitan leans more Republican than 13 of 15 neighbors.
Capitan runs about 59 points more Republican than New Mexico as a whole. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while Capitan is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Capitan. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+58) and the southwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+45), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Capitan leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Capitan, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Capitan votes against the grain of New Mexico. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while Capitan runs about 59 points more Republican.
Preventive-care access and voter turnout
Places with strong routine preventive-care access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Capitan, NM sits in the top quarter 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 Capitan looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Capitan is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 69%, about 9 points above the U.S. average of 60%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Fort Stanton, NM R+41
- Nogal, NM R+55
- Alto, NM R+26
- Sierra Vista, NM R+22
- Glencoe, NM R+42
- Lincoln, NM R+50
- Ruidoso, NM R+16
- Ruidoso Downs, NM R+24
- San Patricio, NM R+46
- Ponderosa Heights, NM D+28
Cities with Similar Populations
- Huntland, TN R+69
- Hillsdale, NY D+28
- Oakley, KS R+63
- Thorndale, TX R+60
- Gordon, NE R+64
- The Plains, VA R+11
- Three Lakes, WI R+16
- Fairfield, VA R+37
- Startzville, TX R+41
- Hardin, KY R+62
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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.