Gates is a Republican stronghold. About 13% of voters here vote Democratic and 87% Republican.
About 80% of adults in Gates typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Gates, ~10% vote Democratic, ~70% Republican, and ~20% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Gates compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Gates leans more Republican than 7 of 12 neighbors.
Gates runs about 53 points more Republican than Nebraska as a whole.
Why Gates leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Gates. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Gates, NE sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Gates looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 98% of adults in Gates have completed high school, about 8 points above the U.S. average of 90%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- New Helena, NE R+74
- Sargent, NE R+73
- Milburn, NE R+74
- Merna, NE R+75
- Broken Bow, NE R+59
- Anselmo, NE R+73
- Westerville, NE R+74
- Weissert, NE R+69
- Berwyn, NE R+80
- Comstock, NE R+73
Cities with Similar Populations
- Leggett, TX R+60
- Fairford, AL R+40
- Quinlan, OK R+77
- Harvey, AR R+73
- Malaga, OH R+67
- McPherron, PA R+68
- Litomysl, MN R+47
- New Boston, PA R+48
- Chinese Camp, CA R+49
- Richohoc, LA R+19
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Nebraska 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.