| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 3,105 | 13,378 | 16,678 | |
| 2020 | R | 3,560 | 13,206 | 17,019 | |
| 2016 | R | 3,308 | 12,671 | 16,606 | |
| 2012 | R | 4,547 | 10,699 | 15,503 | |
| 2008 | R | 5,843 | 10,056 | 16,155 | |
| 2004 | R | 6,206 | 9,903 | 16,229 | |
| 2000 | R | 6,097 | 7,849 | 14,231 | |
| 1996 | D | 6,991 | 5,130 | 13,803 | |
| 1992 | D | 8,001 | 5,311 | 15,341 | |
| 1988 | D | 7,153 | 6,274 | 13,545 | |
| 1984 | R | 6,759 | 7,287 | 14,170 | |
| 1980 | D | 6,999 | 6,556 | 13,816 | |
| 1976 | D | 8,982 | 3,195 | 12,420 | |
| 1972 | R | 3,701 | 6,098 | 10,100 | |
| 1968 | D | 5,103 | 3,239 | 12,213 | |
| 1964 | D | 9,958 | 2,389 | 12,390 | |
| 1960 | D | 7,689 | 4,854 | 12,543 | |
| 1956 | D | 10,090 | 3,711 | 13,815 | |
| 1952 | D | 9,592 | 2,925 | 12,530 | |
| 1948 | D | 8,682 | 1,442 | 10,276 | |
| 1944 | D | 8,057 | 2,172 | 10,238 | |
| 1940 | D | 9,786 | 2,122 | 11,935 | |
| 1936 | D | 9,231 | 1,692 | 11,065 | |
| 1932 | D | 9,888 | 1,825 | 11,764 | |
| 1928 | D | 6,237 | 3,223 | 9,484 | |
| 1924 | D | 7,266 | 2,279 | 9,813 | |
| 1920 | D | 9,018 | 3,241 | 12,500 | |
| 1916 | D | 5,197 | 1,930 | 7,275 | |
| 1912 | D | 3,838 | 862 | 5,657 | |
| 1908 | D | 4,952 | 1,744 | 6,943 | |
| 1904 | D | 4,935 | 1,615 | 6,758 | |
| 1900 | D | 4,759 | 2,073 | 6,968 | |
| 1896 | D | 4,699 | 1,628 | 6,474 | |
| 1892 | D | 2,563 | 1,028 | 4,479 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Graves County, anchored by Mayfield in the western Jackson Purchase region, recorded an R+61.6 presidential margin in 2024, placing it among the most lopsided rural counties in a state that has shifted sharply away from competitive presidential contests over the past two decades.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Graves County peaked at seventy points in 1948; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 2000 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of twelve points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Graves County's median household income of $50,772 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 20% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Marshall County and Barbour County.