Winona County leans slightly Republican by roughly 8 points: about 46% of voters vote Democratic and 54% Republican.
About 71% of adults in Winona County typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Winona County, ~33% vote Democratic, ~38% Republican, and ~29% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Winona County compares
Among counties within 50 miles, Winona County leans more Republican than 2 of 9 neighbors.
Winona County runs about 12 points more Republican than Minnesota as a whole.
Politics vary noticeably by city within Winona County. The northeast side runs the most Democratic (D+20) and the southwest side runs the most Republican (R+37), a spread of about 56 points.
Why Winona County leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Winona County. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
High-school completion, uninsured rate, and voter turnout
Places that combine high-school-completion-heavy adults and a low uninsured rate tend to turn out at a higher rate, as Winona County, MN does.
Why turnout in Winona County looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Winona County is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 65%, about 5 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 94% of adults in Winona County have completed high school, above 88% of counties. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Counties
- Buffalo County, WI R+32
- Houston County, MN R+21
- Trempealeau County, WI R+26
- La Crosse County, WI D+8
- Fillmore County, MN R+32
- Wabasha County, MN R+30
- Olmsted County, MN D+12
- Pepin County, WI R+30
- Jackson County, WI R+21
- Winneshiek County, IA R+13
Counties with Similar Populations
- Wilson County, TX R+50
- Laurens County, GA R+19
- Logan County, OK R+45
- Montgomery County, NY R+24
- Douglas County, NV R+32
- Queen Anne's County, MD R+27
- St. Mary Parish, LA R+23
- Franklin County, VT R+23
- Knox County, IL R+9
- Newaygo County, MI R+40
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Minnesota 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.