Lee County is a Republican stronghold. About 18% of voters here vote Democratic and 82% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Lee County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Lee County, ~13% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Lee County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Lee County leans more Republican than 9 of 21 neighbors.
Lee County runs about 70 points more Republican than Virginia as a whole. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Lee County is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why Lee 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 Lee County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Lee County votes against the grain of Virginia. Virginia leans Democratic overall, while Lee County runs about 70 points more Republican. Rural areas vote Republican, and Lee County sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 12%, below 79% of counties). Low college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Lee County sits in the bottom quarter (about 16%, below 85% of counties).
Population density and Republican lean
Places with low population density tend to lean Republican; Lee County, VA sits in the bottom quarter nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Lee County looks the way it does
Turnout in Lee 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
- Harlan County, KY R+72
- Hancock County, TN R+77
- Hawkins County, TN R+66
- Scott County, VA R+70
- Norton City, VA R+39
- Leslie County, KY R+76
- Wise County, VA R+55
- Bell County, KY R+62
- Claiborne County, TN R+70
- Letcher County, KY R+65
Counties with Similar Populations
- Grant Parish, LA R+77
- Mahaska County, IA R+38
- Sabine Parish, LA R+55
- Waynesboro City, VA R+9
- Limestone County, TX R+40
- Meigs County, OH R+58
- Saunders County, NE R+46
- Houston County, TX R+41
- Asotin County, WA R+29
- Nobles County, MN R+28
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Virginia Department 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.