| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 2,577 | 8,207 | 10,946 | |
| 2020 | R | 2,894 | 8,297 | 11,404 | |
| 2016 | R | 2,619 | 7,432 | 10,723 | |
| 2012 | R | 4,213 | 6,448 | 10,883 | |
| 2008 | R | 4,464 | 6,271 | 10,932 | |
| 2004 | R | 3,790 | 6,858 | 10,728 | |
| 2000 | R | 3,370 | 5,971 | 9,543 | |
| 1996 | R | 3,737 | 4,473 | 8,941 | |
| 1992 | R | 3,714 | 4,953 | 10,247 | |
| 1988 | R | 4,451 | 4,798 | 9,320 | |
| 1984 | R | 4,107 | 6,086 | 10,293 | |
| 1980 | R | 3,968 | 5,650 | 10,363 | |
| 1976 | R | 4,838 | 5,267 | 10,251 | |
| 1972 | R | 3,382 | 6,374 | 9,988 | |
| 1968 | R | 3,721 | 5,670 | 9,970 | |
| 1964 | D | 6,396 | 3,787 | 10,205 | |
| 1960 | R | 3,746 | 7,129 | 10,901 | |
| 1956 | R | 3,965 | 6,864 | 11,034 | |
| 1952 | R | 3,745 | 7,369 | 11,523 | |
| 1948 | D | 4,327 | 4,238 | 9,030 | |
| 1944 | R | 4,652 | 5,123 | 10,072 | |
| 1940 | R | 5,757 | 6,123 | 11,977 | |
| 1936 | D | 6,094 | 5,270 | 11,726 | |
| 1932 | D | 5,586 | 4,655 | 10,713 | |
| 1928 | R | 3,200 | 7,368 | 10,665 | |
| 1924 | R | 1,673 | 5,810 | 10,543 | |
| 1920 | R | 3,339 | 6,739 | 10,440 | |
| 1916 | D | 3,151 | 3,143 | 6,529 | |
| 1912 | D | 2,576 | 1,682 | 6,448 | |
| 1908 | R | 3,035 | 3,326 | 6,856 | |
| 1904 | R | 2,287 | 4,091 | 6,867 | |
| 1900 | R | 3,596 | 4,480 | 8,312 | |
| 1896 | R | 3,974 | 4,256 | 8,396 | |
| 1892 | R | 2,428 | 3,340 | 6,976 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Mahaska County, anchored by Oskaloosa, has swung sharply rightward over the past decade — its R+51.4 margin in 2024 reflects a broader rural Iowa realignment that has compressed Democratic performance across the state's small-town heartland.
The Republican margin in Mahaska County reached its widest at fifty-one points in 2024. The margin in 2024 was fifty-one points, in line with the county's deep historical pattern.
Mahaska County's loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $70,940, a 92% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 22,021 together describe a community whose political habits are deeply settled. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Sherman County and Morton County.
