| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 23,831 | 9,904 | 33,850 | |
| 2020 | D | 24,577 | 10,454 | 35,311 | |
| 2016 | D | 23,311 | 10,232 | 34,303 | |
| 2012 | D | 26,295 | 11,449 | 37,975 | |
| 2008 | D | 26,135 | 12,547 | 38,846 | |
| 2004 | D | 19,805 | 13,711 | 33,687 | |
| 2000 | D | 16,650 | 12,248 | 29,064 | |
| 1996 | D | 15,600 | 11,144 | 27,872 | |
| 1992 | D | 15,236 | 12,455 | 30,931 | |
| 1988 | R | 12,579 | 15,520 | 30,517 | |
| 1984 | R | 12,904 | 16,920 | 29,824 | |
| 1980 | D | 13,430 | 12,726 | 26,615 | |
| 1976 | D | 11,461 | 9,337 | 20,798 | |
| 1972 | R | 3,625 | 12,878 | 16,503 | |
| 1968 | R | 3,831 | 5,611 | 18,762 | |
| 1964 | R | 5,248 | 12,776 | 18,024 | |
| 1960 | D | 4,522 | 4,323 | 8,845 | |
| 1956 | D | 4,126 | 3,248 | 7,374 | |
| 1952 | D | 4,435 | 2,535 | 6,970 | |
| 1948 | D | 2,517 | 614 | 3,921 | |
| 1944 | D | 3,199 | 338 | 3,537 | |
| 1940 | D | 2,175 | 180 | 2,356 | |
| 1936 | D | 2,591 | 122 | 2,716 | |
| 1932 | D | 2,012 | 95 | 2,117 | |
| 1928 | D | 982 | 379 | 1,361 | |
| 1924 | D | 1,065 | 167 | 1,314 | |
| 1920 | D | 621 | 105 | 726 | |
| 1916 | D | 836 | 37 | 890 | |
| 1912 | D | 731 | 21 | 771 | |
| 1908 | D | 583 | 158 | 747 | |
| 1904 | D | 475 | 45 | 520 | |
| 1900 | D | 360 | 29 | 392 | |
| 1896 | D | 404 | 120 | 530 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,254 | 446 | 1,706 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Anchored by Albany, Dougherty County posts some of the widest Democratic presidential margins in Georgia, driven by a majority-Black population and an urban core that has shaped its political identity for decades.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Dougherty County peaked at ninety-two points in 1912; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1992 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of nine points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Dougherty County's median household income of $49,044 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 25% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Richland County and Hampton city.
