The 10 Most Conservative States In The United States For 2023

The 10 Most Conservative States In America For 2023

1. Wyoming

Total Votes: 276,765
Republican Votes: 193,559
Percent Republican: 69.9%

Hello Wyoming! Our number 1 most conservative state in America.Wyoming leads the nation by far in terms of the widest gap between conservatives and liberals at 35%. There’s a Huuuuge spectrum between Wyoming and Vermont for how people claim they stand politically. If you put the two in a ring, they’d for sure battle it out. Both states love guns, too, which is interesting.

Wyoming residents consistently elect hard right conservatives to Washington every year, and its is getting more and more conservative as the years go by.

The state has no income tax, but enjoys budget surpluses every year. The state also ranked first in the nation for being business friendly. It has a very low unemployment rate, and is enjoying an oil and natural gas production boom. Wyoming has BY far the lowest abortion rate in the US, and the highest gun ownership rate in the nation.

Wyoming’s an isolated, leave me alone unless you need me, don’t take away my stuff kinda place. Which goes for many of the other states we talk about.

2. West Virginia

Total Votes: 794,652
Republican Votes: 545,382
Percent Republican: 68.6%

Our next pitstop begins in a battleground for energy reform, West Virginia. According to the Cook Partisian Voting Index, West Virginia ranks 5th in the nation in terms of how strongly a state leans Republican.

Now, West Virginia USED to be a deep blue state, but it’s now very ruby red. In ’92, Bill Clinton won the state by 13 points. But then Trump came in 24 years later and crushed it. West Virginia had a higher percentage of residents vote for Donald Trump in the 2016 election than in any other state. 2 in 3 residents in West Virginia picked Trump, which was even higher than in Wyoming and North Dakota.

Most of that had to do with the energy debate. Over the last couple decades, environmentalists have crushed the coal industry to death here, meaning a large part of the population has seen jobs and their livelihoods, wiped away. West Virginia is the only state in the nation that has seen its population go down. Trump came into the scene and promised to be favorable to the oil and coal industry if elected, and West Virginians responded in droves.

It’ll be interesting to see if he follows through on his promise. The data is still out on whether or not there will be a big coal boom in the Mountain State or not – but right now, this state is red hot conservative.

3. Oklahoma

Total Votes: 1,560,699
Republican Votes: 1,020,280
Percent Republican: 65.4%

Oklahoma puts the O in GOP. You could drive across all the prairies of Oklahoma and you wouldn’t see a blue county in the entire state.

Many people outside of Oklahoma might be surprised to hear that the Sooner State is third in the nation for energy production. However, when a state relies so heavily on energy, and prices and demand drops, you have budget shortfalls. That’s happened in Oklahoma before. And it impacts politics here.

A while back, Barack Obama said transgender students could go to the bathroom wherever they wanted to. But not in Oklahoma, no siree. Oklahoma decision makers wanted to impeach Obama for that one. Even when the oil money ran out and schools were closing on Fridays, they still wanted to talk about the Oklahoma bathroom bill instead of how to keep the schools open in the first place.

Yeah, that’s pretty far right. Guys from Oklahoma go to capital hill and try and compete to be the most conservative guy on the floor. Oklahomans love being practical. To them, their identity politics make sense. The only union they support in Oklahoma is the Major League Baseball Union.

4. North Dakota

Total Votes: 361,819
Republican Votes: 235,595
Percent Republican: 65.1%

North Dakota has the nation’s second-highest conservative advantage – 31% more North Dakotans identify as conservative than liberal. And, like nearby Montana it’s getting even more conservative.

In terms of oil production, North Dakota is 3rd in the nation – behind only Alaska and Texas. And oil production is growing even more. Remember the big oil battle that happened near a Native American reservation a few years back? Locals from Bismarck, Mandan, and surrounding communities ran the protesters off with their tails between their legs. They can’t stand out of state hippies in North Dakota. At all.

There are words used to describe North Dakotans, and all of them speak to the right. Pragmatic. Stubborn. Independent. Individualistic. The presence of just one abortion clinic, just barely across the border from Minnesota in Fargo, speaks to how socially conservative the state is.

5. Idaho

Total Votes: 868,014
Republican Votes: 554,119
Percent Republican: 63.8%

Right next door to Utah is the very red state of Idaho. Americans seem to agree: According to what people are Googling, more people think Idaho is republican than anywhere else in the country. Is that true? Yes. Idahoans have selected Republicans in the last 8 election cycles. In fact the last time Idaho voted for a democratic president was 1964 – with Barry Goldwater.

Idaho residents ranked 8th in terms of the biggest gap between Republican and Democratic voters. But why? Idahoans are loners. This was the last American state to be explored by settlers, and has a history in individualist industries like mining and farming. It’s underpopulated, vastly wild, hard-to-reach and isolated. And Idahoans like it that way.

Whether it’s Fish & Game agents regulating hunting, the Feds closing brothels, or Uncle Sam taking away their hard-earned cash, Idahoans tend to mistrust anything coming out of Washington DC.

Plus, like Utah, there are a ton of Mormons in Idaho. There’s still probably people driving around Idaho with Ollie North bumper stickers on their cars. Not Mormon cars though.

6. Arkansas

Total Votes: 1,219,069
Republican Votes: 760,647
Percent Republican: 62.4%

Arkansas comes in sixth on our list. According to a recent Gallup poll, Arkansas republicans hold a 28% lead over democrat voters. That’s the 7th highest conservative advantage in the nation.

Now keep in mind, Arkansas is home to Bill Clinton, who was one of the only democratic presidents elected in the last 40 years. Clinton sure couldn’t carry Arkansas today. His wife got crushed here by a wide margin. Remember that, Merica? Just like West Virginia, my how things have changed. Why? Many speculate southern Democrats have become a party that’s now seen more as liberal New Yorkers than social-conservative Southerners.

It’s a cultural shift, and a recognition that, nationally, Democrat politics have shifted too far to the left. Look at this chart. It’s getting more and more red in Arkansas every presidential election year. Not good news if you’re a lib. It seems that God, guns and gays are going to continue to drive people to vote R in droves in places like Arkansas.

People in Arkansas are probably pro-lifers, but opposed to the death penalty. So odd.

7. Kentucky

Total Votes: 2,136,768
Republican Votes: 1,326,646
Percent Republican: 62.1%

Way down in Kentucky, republicans have a 30% edge in support for voters. That’s huge. Kentucky hasn’t elected a democratic president to office since Jimmy Carter in 1976.

They don’t care about global warming down here in Kentucky. If they did, they’d probably just all open up their refrigerators to do their part to cool the planet off. Kentucky residents are against undocumented workers more than any other southern state; are more hesitant than their midwest neighbors to heal race relations, and are more than likely than other state in this region to approve of gay marriage.

Did you know Kentucky is one of the poorest state in the nation? That’s part of the problem with conservatism in the midwest. There’s a huge gap in poverty and inequality, teen pregnancy rates, and roads and schools are in bad shape. So, while these states are way conservative in their policies, it seems that a large part of the population – and everything else – is being neglected.

8. Alabama

Total Votes: 2,323,282
Republican Votes: 1,441,170
Percent Republican: 62.0%

Alabama ranks 4th in the nation for the biggest gap between conservatives and liberals. Like Mississippi and Idaho, Alabama has voted for Republican presidential candidates in the last eight elections. Perhaps, what Alabama voters want is for government to return to its role as a relatively minor focal point in their lives.

Conservative Alabamians do their research, cast their votes and then hope not worry too much about what is happening in Washington until then next time they head to the polls.The majority of Alabamians believe that the role of government is to protect the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Alabama also passed House Bill 56 in 2011, which is totally anti-illegal immigrant. HB-56 means that if the police think you might be an illegal immigrant, they can detain you. Illegal immigrants are also not allowed to obtain work visas. Not only can you not work here if you’re not from here, you can’t get welfare or go to a public school.

Harsh.

Mississippi and Alabama are both pretty much tied for the highest number of people who go to church, too.

9. South Dakota

Total Votes: 422,609
Republican Votes: 261,043
Percent Republican: 61.8%

South Dakota has long been a Republican stronghold due to its predominantly rural and conservative population, with a strong emphasis on individual liberties and limited government intervention.

South Dakota’s conservative heritage extends beyond its wide-open prairies, as the state has consistently upheld pro-gun rights policies, a staunchly pro-life stance, and a fiscally conservative approach to spending. The state’s voters, who have historically favored Republican candidates, find common ground with the party’s commitment to preserving these values.

10. Tennessee

Total Votes: 3,053,851
Republican Votes: 1,852,475
Percent Republican: 60.7%

The tenth most conservative state in Merica? Utah. Utah and Oklahoma tie with the least number of blue counties in their states – zero. Zilch. In fact, in many of the last presidential election cycles, there wasn’t a single county that voted Democrat here.

Utah has a very high Mormon population, which is the most conservative religious group in the nation. Mitt Romney got a lot of support here when he ran in 2012. Remember that, Merica?.

Utah, along with Alaska and Arizona, has the most lenient gun laws in the nation, too. The cost of living is low here, and taxes are mild. Companies are ditching places like California in order to relocate in a more corporate friendly environment.

Are things working out for Utah? Sounds like it. Utah has some of the nation’s lowest crime, little debt, and low homelessness and very little racism. So, if you like good jobs, safety and a tolerating society, Utah has it made, politically. Additional factors – Utah has a large defense industry, which keeps lots of people happily employed. Not that bombing everyone is okay. But a big part of Utah’s growth is because it’s easy to get around. Well maintained roads across this desolate land mean people can thrive.

So you won’t see Utah residents protesting oil pipelines any time soon.

How We Determined The Most Conservative States In America For 2023

The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the most conservative states is the number of gun-loving, MAGA-toting, old white people — you know, Republicans.

Unfortunately, not every state lists the exact number of registered Democrats and Republicans on their secretary of state website, so we had to dig deeper.

Using Saturday Night Science, we decided to look at data from the Federal Elections Committee and MIT for the 2020 elections results:

• Percent of Voters That Went Republican In The 2020 Presidential Election

We ranked each state from 1 to 50 for the criteria, with 1 being the most conservative. The state with the largest share of conservative voters has been crowned the ‘Most Conservative State In The US For 2023.’

We updated this article for 2023. This report is our tenth time ranking the most conservative states in the United States.

Skip to the end to see the rankings for every state, including which states are the most liberal.

Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in America

In large cities, where we’re densely populated, we focus on getting along with each other and emphasize collective interests. Not in places like Wyoming, West Virginia, and Oklahoma.

Government policies those states are increasingly compelled to oppose are the ones that cause them to lose their health insurance, feel subject to government spying, pay more for their electricity bill, lose their jobs, or wonder if America’s borders are actually secure in an increasingly tumultuous world.

As Americans continue to battle over education and health care reform, gender equity and even the damn wall, it’ll be interesting to see if these trends hold up for the next 8 presidential elections.

God bless America.

Here’s a quick look at the most liberal states of the list:

1. Vermont
2. Massachusetts
3. Maryland

For more reading, check out:

• Richest Places By State
• Best States To Raise A Family In America
• Richest States In America

Detailed List Of The Most Conservative States In America For 2023