Russell County is a Republican stronghold. About 20% of voters here vote Democratic and 80% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Russell County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Russell County, ~14% vote Democratic, ~57% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Russell County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Russell County leans more Republican than 3 of 7 neighbors.
Russell County runs about 43 points more Republican than Kansas as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Russell County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+71) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+56), a spread of about 15 points.
Why Russell County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Russell County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Housing overcrowding and voter turnout
Places with low overcrowding tend to turn out at a higher rate; Russell County, KS sits in the bottom tenth nationally on this measure.
Why turnout in Russell County looks the way it does
Areas with high high-school completion turn out at higher rates. About 94% of adults in Russell County have completed high school, above 85% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Ellis County, KS R+38
- Ellsworth County, KS R+56
- Barton County, KS R+47
- Rush County, KS R+62
- Lincoln County, KS R+67
- Osborne County, KS R+74
- Rooks County, KS R+66
- Mitchell County, KS R+58
- Rice County, KS R+54
- Pawnee County, KS R+49
Counties with Similar Populations
- Kearney County, NE R+59
- La Salle County, TX R+13
- Childress County, TX R+57
- Lac qui Parle County, MN R+38
- Galax City, VA R+38
- Hancock County, TN R+77
- Burt County, NE R+55
- Pershing County, NV R+52
- Refugio County, TX R+36
- Buena Vista City, VA R+35
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Kansas 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.