| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 4,565 | 15,019 | 19,802 | |
| 2020 | R | 5,127 | 14,654 | 20,064 | |
| 2016 | R | 4,275 | 13,483 | 18,488 | |
| 2012 | R | 5,400 | 10,922 | 16,568 | |
| 2008 | R | 5,434 | 11,133 | 16,807 | |
| 2004 | R | 5,216 | 10,822 | 16,140 | |
| 2000 | R | 4,930 | 8,741 | 13,844 | |
| 1996 | R | 5,044 | 5,700 | 11,844 | |
| 1992 | D | 5,688 | 5,467 | 12,973 | |
| 1988 | R | 4,799 | 6,653 | 11,506 | |
| 1984 | R | 4,503 | 7,717 | 12,277 | |
| 1980 | R | 5,285 | 6,405 | 11,933 | |
| 1976 | D | 5,878 | 3,797 | 9,771 | |
| 1972 | R | 3,384 | 6,070 | 9,696 | |
| 1968 | R | 3,464 | 4,209 | 9,826 | |
| 1964 | D | 6,420 | 2,936 | 9,380 | |
| 1960 | R | 4,946 | 5,187 | 10,133 | |
| 1956 | D | 5,206 | 4,206 | 9,414 | |
| 1952 | D | 4,618 | 3,743 | 8,365 | |
| 1948 | D | 4,095 | 2,437 | 6,715 | |
| 1944 | D | 4,439 | 3,262 | 7,701 | |
| 1940 | D | 4,888 | 3,233 | 8,132 | |
| 1936 | D | 5,137 | 3,352 | 8,514 | |
| 1932 | D | 6,518 | 3,622 | 10,181 | |
| 1928 | R | 3,530 | 5,101 | 8,636 | |
| 1924 | D | 4,449 | 3,488 | 8,022 | |
| 1920 | D | 5,499 | 3,972 | 9,531 | |
| 1916 | D | 3,370 | 2,462 | 5,888 | |
| 1912 | D | 2,993 | 1,563 | 5,335 | |
| 1908 | D | 3,145 | 2,308 | 5,574 | |
| 1904 | D | 3,051 | 2,073 | 5,219 | |
| 1900 | D | 3,170 | 2,234 | 5,487 | |
| 1896 | D | 3,006 | 2,092 | 5,197 | |
| 1892 | D | 2,061 | 1,369 | 4,007 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Barren County, anchored by the small city of Glasgow, posted a 52.8-point Republican presidential margin in 2024—reflecting the broader realignment of rural south-central Kentucky away from its historically competitive roots.
The Democratic margin in Barren County peaked at thirty-seven points in 1964. By 1996 the county had flipped, voting Republican for the first time in many years. The 2024 margin was fifty-three points, the most Republican-leaning result in the county's modern history.
The economic context is the key. Barren County's median household income of $50,628 sits well below state and national norms, and 19% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The shift here is part of a broader realignment of working-class places across the country. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Todd County and Bullitt County.