Herkimer County leans Republican by roughly 28 points: about 36% of voters vote Democratic and 64% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Herkimer County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Herkimer County, ~26% vote Democratic, ~45% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Herkimer County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Herkimer County is the most Republican-leaning.
Herkimer County runs about 41 points more Republican than New York as a whole. New York leans Democratic overall, while Herkimer County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Herkimer County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+46) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+21), a spread of about 25 points.
Why Herkimer 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 Herkimer County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Herkimer County votes against the grain of New York. New York leans Democratic overall, while Herkimer County runs about 41 points more Republican.
Cholesterol-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high cholesterol-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Herkimer County, NY sits in the top tenth nationally on this measure. Cholesterol screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Herkimer County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Herkimer County 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 62%, above 60% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Oneida County, NY R+13
- Fulton County, NY R+28
- Montgomery County, NY R+24
- Otsego County, NY R+5
- Madison County, NY R+13
- Schoharie County, NY R+29
- Hamilton County, NY R+26
- Chenango County, NY R+36
- Lewis County, NY R+48
- Schenectady County, NY D+17
Counties with Similar Populations
- Crawford County, AR R+54
- Otter Tail County, MN R+35
- Pender County, NC R+33
- Bradford County, PA R+49
- Washington County, VT D+19
- Pittsylvania County, VA R+39
- Washington County, OH R+42
- Rutland County, VT R+9
- Mercer County, WV R+50
- Lincoln County, MO R+51
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New York 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.