McAlister is a Republican stronghold. About 12% of voters here vote Democratic and 88% Republican.
About 56% of adults in McAlister typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in McAlister, ~7% vote Democratic, ~49% Republican, and ~44% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How McAlister compares
Among cities within 25 miles, McAlister leans more Republican than 4 of 6 neighbors.
McAlister runs about 82 points more Republican than New Mexico as a whole. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while McAlister is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Why McAlister 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 McAlister, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
McAlister votes against the grain of New Mexico. New Mexico leans Democratic overall, while McAlister runs about 82 points more Republican. Rural areas vote Republican, and McAlister sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 1%, below 97% of cities).
Developed land and Republican lean
Places with a rural land-use pattern tend to lean Republican; McAlister, NM sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure. Developed land does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in McAlister looks the way it does
Renters vote less often than owners. About 49% of households in McAlister rent, about 24 points above the U.S. average of 25%. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 96% of adults in McAlister have completed high school, above 83% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- House, NM R+73
- Quay, NM R+73
- Krider, NM R+77
- Melrose, NM R+59
- Grady, NM R+79
- St. Vrain, NM R+74
- Taiban, NM R+48
- Ranchvale, NM R+81
- Tucumcari, NM R+19
Cities with Similar Populations
- Daysville, TN R+69
- South Salem, IN R+63
- Lamont, WA R+75
- Neff, OK R+69
- Interior, SD R+65
- Vantage, WA R+41
- Long Key, FL R+32
- Longrie, MI R+45
- Forest Hill, MS D+36
- Lowery, AL R+90
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from New Mexico Secretary of State, Bureau 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.