Now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of New Mexico would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Land of Enchantment?
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to measure how each city in New Mexico with populations greater than 5,000 voted in past elections. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Republican were named the most conservative cities in the state.
79.0% Republican vote · #2 most conservative in New Mexico
Located in
Lea County, New Mexico
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
79.0% Republican vote · #2 most conservative in New Mexico
Located in
Lea County, New Mexico
Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 34,122 at the 2010 Census, increasing from 28,657 at the 2000 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
75.2% Republican vote · #4 most conservative in New Mexico
Located in
Eddy County, New Mexico
Artesia is a city in Eddy County, New Mexico, United States, centered at the intersection of U.S. Route 82 and U.S. Route 285; the two highways serve as the city’s Main Street and First Street, respectively. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,301.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
75.2% Republican vote · #4 most conservative in New Mexico
Located in
Eddy County, New Mexico
Carlsbad is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,138. Carlsbad is centered at the intersection of U.S. Routes 62/180 and 285, and is the principal city of the Carlsbad-Artesia Micropolitan Statistical Area, which has a total population of 55,435. Located in the southeastern part of New Mexico, Carlsbad straddles the Pecos River and sits at the eastern edge of the Guadalupe Mountains.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
70.1% Republican vote · #5 most conservative in New Mexico
Located in
Roosevelt County, New Mexico
Portales is a city in and the county seat of Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 12,280 at the 2010 census. Portales is located near the larger city of Clovis as well as Cannon Air Force Base, a major contributor to the economy of the region.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
69.8% Republican vote · #6 most conservative in New Mexico
Located in
Chaves County, New Mexico
Roswell is a city in New Mexico. It is the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 48,411, making it the fifth-largest city in New Mexico. It is a center for irrigated farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also the home of New Mexico Military Institute, founded in 1891. Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located a few miles northeast of the city on the Pecos River. Bottomless Lakes State Park is located 12 miles east of Roswell on US 380.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
69.2% Republican vote · #7 most conservative in New Mexico
Located in
Curry County, New Mexico
Clovis is the county seat of Curry County, New Mexico, United States, with a population of 37,775 as of the 2010 census, and a 2014 estimated population of 39,860. Clovis is located in the New Mexico portion of the Llano Estacado, in the eastern part of the state.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
68.0% Republican vote · #8 most conservative in New Mexico
Tucumcari is a city in and the county seat of Quay County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 5,363 at the 2010 census. Tucumcari was founded in 1901, two years before Quay County was founded.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
67.4% Republican vote · #9 most conservative in New Mexico
Located in
Lincoln County, New Mexico
Ruidoso is a village in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, adjacent to the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 8,029 at the 2010 census. The city of Ruidoso Downs and the unincorporated area of Alto are suburbs of Ruidoso, and contribute to the Ruidoso Micropolitan Statistical Area’s population of 21,223.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
62.9% Republican vote · #11 most conservative in New Mexico
Located in
San Juan County, New Mexico
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is New Mexico’s statewide median.
On the map
Mapping the conservative strongholds in New Mexico
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most conservative cities in New Mexico for 2026
To find the most conservative places in New Mexico, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most conservatives.
We started by making a list of every city in New Mexico over 5,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 31 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places rock the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For The Republican President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Republicans, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 31 for each criterion, where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Lovington, is “The Most Conservative City in New Mexico For 2026”. The most liberal place in New Mexico was Taos.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most conservative places to live in New Mexico.
The full plate
Most Conservative Places In New Mexico
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Conservative Score | Population | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lovington | 1.50 | 11,498 | 79.0% |
| 1 | Hobbs | 1.50 | 40,252 | 79.0% |
| 3 | Artesia | 3.50 | 12,576 | 75.2% |
| 3 | Carlsbad | 3.50 | 31,746 | 75.2% |
| 5 | Portales | 5.00 | 11,968 | 70.1% |
| 6 | Roswell | 6.00 | 47,638 | 69.8% |
| 7 | Clovis | 7.00 | 37,942 | 69.2% |
| 8 | Tucumcari | 8.00 | 5,160 | 68.0% |
| 9 | Ruidoso | 9.00 | 7,699 | 67.4% |
| 11 | Aztec | 11.00 | 6,150 | 62.9% |
| 11 | Farmington | 11.00 | 46,314 | 62.9% |
| 11 | Bloomfield | 11.00 | 7,395 | 62.9% |
| 13 | Alamogordo | 13.00 | 31,307 | 61.6% |
| 14 | Truth or Consequences | 14.00 | 6,019 | 59.6% |
| 15 | Deming | 15.00 | 15,221 | 54.4% |
| 16 | Raton | 16.00 | 6,026 | 54.4% |
| 17 | Belen | 17.50 | 7,450 | 53.8% |
| 17 | Los Lunas | 17.50 | 18,618 | 53.8% |
| 19 | Socorro | 19.00 | 8,481 | 45.5% |
| 20 | Silver City | 20.00 | 9,536 | 45.4% |
| 21 | Grants | 21.00 | 8,951 | 44.6% |
| 23 | Bernalillo | 23.50 | 9,086 | 44.6% |
| 23 | Rio Rancho | 23.50 | 108,515 | 44.6% |
| 23 | Corrales | 23.50 | 8,555 | 44.6% |
| 23 | Edgewood | 23.50 | 6,124 | 44.6% |
| 26 | Los Ranchos de Albuquerque | 27.50 | 5,857 | 36.6% |
| 26 | Albuquerque | 27.50 | 562,218 | 36.6% |
| 28 | Las Vegas | 30.00 | 13,000 | 29.7% |
| 29 | Gallup | 31.00 | 21,023 | 29.5% |
| 30 | Santa Fe | 32.50 | 89,019 | 22.3% |
| 31 | Taos | 34.00 | 6,458 | 21.6% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 31 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in New Mexico
Well, there you have it, the places in New Mexico that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Lovington ranking as the most conservative in the entire state.
The most conservative cities in New Mexico are Lovington, Hobbs, Artesia, Carlsbad, Portales, Roswell, Clovis, Tucumcari, Ruidoso, and Aztec.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in New Mexico. Not sold on New Mexico? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
