Shoshone County leans heavily Republican by roughly 44 points: about 28% of voters vote Democratic and 72% Republican.
About 70% of adults in Shoshone County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Shoshone County, ~20% vote Democratic, ~50% Republican, and ~30% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Shoshone County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Shoshone County is the least Republican-leaning.
Shoshone County runs about 7 points more Republican than Idaho as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Shoshone County. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+61) and the north side is the least Republican-leaning (R+41), a spread of about 20 points.
Why Shoshone 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 Shoshone County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Areas with low college attainment vote Republican. About 12% of adults in Shoshone County hold a bachelor's degree, about 14 points below the Idaho average of 26%.
Developed land and Republican lean
Places with a rural land-use pattern tend to lean Republican; Shoshone County, ID sits below the national average on this measure. Developed land does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban a place is.
Why turnout in Shoshone County looks the way it does
Turnout in Shoshone County sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Benewah County, ID R+60
- Kootenai County, ID R+46
- Sanders County, MT R+54
- Bonner County, ID R+44
- Mineral County, MT R+53
- Spokane County, WA R+3
- Latah County, ID R+4
- Clearwater County, ID R+64
- Whitman County, WA D+16
- Pend Oreille County, WA R+38
Counties with Similar Populations
- Crenshaw County, AL R+54
- Mono County, CA D+13
- Powell County, KY R+60
- Cass County, IA R+41
- Big Horn County, MT Even
- Jackson County, KS R+45
- Kodiak Island Borough, AK R+16
- Mason County, IL R+46
- Lewis County, KY R+66
- Amelia County, VA R+40
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Idaho 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.