Big Horn County, WY

Big Horn County, Wyoming, is about as solidly conservative as it gets, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index (PVI) of R+23, meaning it votes 23 points more Republican than the national average. That puts it right in line with the rest of Wyoming, which also carries an R+23 PVI, so you’re not looking at any major political divergence here. The county has been reliably red for decades, and while there’s been a slight uptick in Democratic votes in some precincts around Lovell and Greybull over the last few cycles, the overall trajectory is still firmly conservative. If you’re worried about government overreach or progressive ideology creeping in, Big Horn County is one of those places where the local culture and voting patterns push back hard against that kind of thing.

How it compares

When you stack Big Horn County up against the rest of Wyoming, the numbers are almost identical—both are R+23, so there’s no real statistical difference in partisan lean. But the devil’s in the details when you look at the towns. Cody, just west of the county line in Park County, is a deep-red stronghold, but inside Big Horn County itself, you’ve got Basin and Greybull that lean even more Republican, often hitting 80% or higher for GOP candidates in presidential races. Lovell and Byron are a bit more moderate, with a small but noticeable Democratic presence—maybe 15-20% in local elections—thanks to some union ties from the sugar beet and railroad industries. Manderson and Deaver are swing precincts where you’ll see a few more split-ticket voters, but they still break red overall. The key difference from the state as a whole is that Big Horn County lacks the kind of urban or resort-town influence you see in places like Jackson or Laramie, so it’s more uniformly conservative without any real progressive pockets.

What this means for residents

For folks living here, the political climate means you’re not dealing with the kind of progressive policy pushes that are common in blue states or even in some parts of Wyoming like Teton County. Property taxes are low, there’s no state income tax, and the local government tends to keep its nose out of your business—whether that’s on gun rights, land use, or homeschooling. The county commission and school board are reliably conservative, so you won’t see things like critical race theory or DEI initiatives making their way into local schools. That said, there’s been a bit of a shift in the last five years with more folks moving in from out of state, especially around the Bighorn Mountains, and some of them bring a more moderate or even libertarian streak. It’s not a big deal yet, but if you’re paying attention, you can see it in local zoning debates and a few more contested primaries. The long-term outlook is still solidly red, but I’d keep an eye on those newcomers—they might start pushing for more government involvement in things like land use or environmental regulations.

Culturally, Big Horn County is a place where the Second Amendment is a given, the local economy runs on agriculture and energy, and people value self-reliance over government programs. You won’t find the kind of coastal-style politics here, and that’s a big part of why folks stay. The biggest policy distinction from the rest of Wyoming is probably the county’s strong opposition to federal land management—there’s a lot of tension around BLM and Forest Service rules, especially for ranchers and outfitters. If you’re looking for a place where the government stays out of your life and the voting patterns back that up, Big Horn County is about as good as it gets in the Lower 48.