McDonald is a Republican stronghold. About 20% of voters here vote Democratic and 80% Republican.
About 54% of adults in McDonald typically vote, below the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in McDonald, ~11% vote Democratic, ~44% Republican, and ~45% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How McDonald compares
Among cities within 25 miles, McDonald leans more Republican than 8 of 11 neighbors.
McDonald runs about 78 points more Republican than Washington as a whole. Washington leans Democratic overall, while McDonald is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within McDonald. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+65) and the southwest side is the least Republican-leaning (R+54), a spread of about 10 points.
Why McDonald 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 McDonald, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
McDonald votes against the grain of Washington. Washington leans Democratic overall, while McDonald runs about 78 points more Republican. A high family-household share predicts Republican voting, and about 76% of households in McDonald are family households, above 78% of cities.
Walkability and Republican lean
Places with a low walkability score tend to lean Republican; McDonald, WA sits in the bottom quarter 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 McDonald looks the way it does
Areas with limited routine healthcare access turn out at lower rates. McDonald is in the bottom quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The uninsured rate here is about 20%, about 12 points above the Washington average of 9%. Renters vote less often than owners, and about 33% of households in McDonald rent, above 88% of cities. Low high-school completion lines up with lower turnout, and about 81% of adults in McDonald have completed high school, below 90% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Moses Lake, WA R+31
- Wheeler, WA R+49
- Warden, WA R+38
- Othello, WA R+27
- Moses Lake North, WA R+67
- Ruff, WA R+61
- Smyrna, WA R+57
- Royal City, WA R+58
- Marlin, WA R+71
- Cunningham, WA R+60
Cities with Similar Populations
- Gibson, TN R+64
- Trivoli, IL R+36
- Ruthven, IA R+46
- Americus, KS R+50
- West Kittanning, PA R+42
- Tower Hill, IL R+63
- Allenwood, NJ R+29
- Bascom, OH R+52
- Atlantic Mine, MI R+5
- Warman, MN R+55
All Local Stats
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Washington 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.