Sullivan County is a Republican stronghold. About 25% of voters here vote Democratic and 75% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Sullivan County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Sullivan County, ~18% vote Democratic, ~53% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Sullivan County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Sullivan County leans more Republican than 6 of 21 neighbors.
Sullivan County runs about 21 points more Republican than Tennessee as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Sullivan County. The southeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+64) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+30), a spread of about 34 points.
Why Sullivan 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 Sullivan County, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Sullivan County votes Republican even though it is densely developed (about 53%, far above the Tennessee average of 21%). State and regional patterns outweigh the Democratic lean that density usually predicts here.
Cholesterol-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high cholesterol-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Sullivan County, TN sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cholesterol screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Sullivan County looks the way it does
Turnout in Sullivan County 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 Counties
- Bristol City, VA R+32
- Washington County, TN R+37
- Scott County, VA R+70
- Carter County, TN R+61
- Unicoi County, TN R+57
- Washington County, VA R+52
- Hawkins County, TN R+66
- Norton City, VA R+39
- Johnson County, TN R+67
- Wise County, VA R+55
Counties with Similar Populations
- Centre County, PA D+8
- Schenectady County, NY D+17
- Stearns County, MN R+21
- Martin County, FL R+25
- Fairfield County, OH R+23
- Bibb County, GA D+33
- Rankin County, MS R+42
- Stafford County, VA D+6
- Alexandria City, VA D+55
- Indian River County, FL R+21
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Tennessee Secretary of State, Division 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.