Thornton is a Republican stronghold. About 20% of voters here vote Democratic and 80% Republican.
About 65% of adults in Thornton typically vote, near the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Thornton, ~13% vote Democratic, ~52% Republican, and ~35% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Thornton compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Thornton leans more Republican than 99 of 178 neighbors.
Thornton runs about 18 points more Republican than West Virginia as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Thornton. The northeast side is the most Republican-leaning (R+68) and the west side is the least Republican-leaning (R+55), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Thornton leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Thornton. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Paved land cover and Republican lean
Places with little paved surface tend to lean Republican; Thornton, WV sits below the national average on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Thornton looks the way it does
Homeowners vote more often than renters. About 94% of households in Thornton own their home, about 12 points above the West Virginia average of 81%. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Millertown, WV R+61
- Lucretia, WV R+59
- Brownlow, WV R+56
- Marquess, WV R+64
- Victoria, WV R+57
- Grafton, WV R+51
- Newburg, WV R+66
- Park View, WV R+60
- Fetterman, WV R+53
Cities with Similar Populations
- Groveoak, AL R+80
- Hewett, WV R+68
- Telferner, TX R+51
- Belgrade, MO R+69
- Douglassville, TX R+54
- St. Regis Falls, NY R+12
- Walnut, IA R+43
- Saxe, VA R+30
- Vanoss, OK R+68
- Glenwood, NY R+33
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from West Virginia 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.