Russell is a Republican stronghold. About 24% of voters here vote Democratic and 76% Republican.
About 76% of adults in Russell typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Russell, ~18% vote Democratic, ~58% Republican, and ~24% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Russell compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Russell leans more Republican than 38 of 49 neighbors.
Russell runs about 40 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Why Russell 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 Russell, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with a high white share and below-average college attainment vote Republican. In Russell, about 96% of residents are non-Hispanic white, about 24 points above the U.S. average of 72%; about 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, about 12 points below the Iowa average of 24%. Rural areas vote Republican, and Russell sits in the bottom quarter on density (about 5%, below 76% of cities).
Never-married share, developed land, and voter turnout
Places that combine a low never-married share and a rural land-use pattern tend to turn out at a higher rate, as Russell, IA does.
Why turnout in Russell looks the way it does
Turnout in Russell 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 Cities
- Chariton, IA R+38
- Melrose, IA R+51
- Millerton, IA R+55
- Williamson, IA R+52
- Derby, IA R+52
- Oakley, IA R+50
- Weller, IA R+48
- Promise City, IA R+58
- Georgetown, IA R+48
- Lucas, IA R+52
Cities with Similar Populations
- Victor, IA R+46
- Tiltonsville, OH R+36
- Browntown, WI R+33
- Roslyn, WA Even
- Prudhoe Bay, AK R+13
- Friend, NE R+60
- Kawaihae, HI D+29
- Columbia, VA R+33
- Bennington, IN R+65
- Point Venture, TX R+5
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Iowa 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.