East Gillespie leans heavily Republican by roughly 42 points: about 29% of voters vote Democratic and 71% Republican.
About 83% of adults in East Gillespie typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in East Gillespie, ~24% vote Democratic, ~59% Republican, and ~17% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How East Gillespie compares
Among cities within 25 miles, East Gillespie leans more Republican than 28 of 82 neighbors.
East Gillespie runs about 53 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while East Gillespie is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within East Gillespie. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+53) and the south side is the least Republican-leaning (R+37), a spread of about 16 points.
Why East Gillespie 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 East Gillespie, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
East Gillespie votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while East Gillespie runs about 53 points more Republican. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and East Gillespie fits that profile on both counts.
Local retail density and voter turnout
Places with dense local retail within a mile tend to turn out at a higher rate; East Gillespie, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Nearby retail does not change how people vote; it reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in East Gillespie looks the way it does
Turnout in East Gillespie sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Gillespie, IL R+39
- Eagarville, IL R+52
- Mount Clare, IL R+46
- Benld, IL R+37
- Hornsby, IL R+51
- Sawyerville, IL R+44
- Lake Ka-ho, IL R+51
- Dorchester, IL R+48
- White City, IL R+45
- Mount Olive, IL R+39
Cities with Similar Populations
- Adair, IL R+49
- Kirby, MS R+12
- Meldrum, KY R+76
- Yuma, KY R+73
- Big Bend, WV R+67
- Wiota, IA R+49
- Hunts Corners, NY R+36
- Bigpatch, WI R+34
- Cowlington, OK R+73
- Stotonic Village, AZ D+55
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Illinois State Board 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.