Leslie County is a Republican stronghold. About 12% of voters here vote Democratic and 88% Republican.
About 67% of adults in Leslie County typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Leslie County, ~8% vote Democratic, ~59% Republican, and ~33% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Leslie County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Leslie County leans more Republican than 20 of 21 neighbors.
Leslie County runs about 45 points more Republican than Kentucky as a whole.
Why Leslie 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 Leslie County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Rural areas vote Republican. About 5% of residents in Leslie County live in densely developed areas, about 13 points below the Kentucky average of 18%. A high white share with below-average college attainment predicts Republican voting, and Leslie County fits that profile on both counts.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; Leslie County, KY sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. A walkable street grid does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Leslie County looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 85% of households in Leslie County own their home, about 7 points above the Kentucky average of 78%. Limited routine healthcare access lines up with lower turnout, and Leslie County sits in the bottom quarter on routine-care measures. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Perry County, KY R+61
- Harlan County, KY R+72
- Clay County, KY R+72
- Breathitt County, KY R+62
- Knott County, KY R+67
- Owsley County, KY R+74
- Letcher County, KY R+65
- Lee County, VA R+64
- Knox County, KY R+65
- Bell County, KY R+62
Counties with Similar Populations
- Washington County, ID R+57
- Crawford County, IN R+52
- Custer County, NE R+68
- Bradley County, AR R+30
- Gates County, NC R+29
- Carbon County, MT R+38
- Walsh County, ND R+46
- Mitchell County, IA R+36
- Bollinger County, MO R+70
- Cumberland County, IL R+60
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Kentucky 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.