| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 1,153 | 4,339 | 5,556 | |
| 2020 | R | 1,412 | 4,506 | 5,993 | |
| 2016 | R | 1,240 | 4,397 | 5,805 | |
| 2012 | R | 1,765 | 3,607 | 5,470 | |
| 2008 | R | 2,390 | 3,037 | 5,540 | |
| 2004 | R | 2,304 | 3,207 | 5,547 | |
| 2000 | R | 2,388 | 2,599 | 5,072 | |
| 1996 | D | 2,852 | 1,568 | 5,102 | |
| 1992 | D | 3,380 | 1,408 | 5,665 | |
| 1988 | D | 3,019 | 2,159 | 5,202 | |
| 1984 | D | 3,042 | 2,504 | 5,580 | |
| 1980 | D | 3,506 | 1,939 | 5,535 | |
| 1976 | D | 3,523 | 1,402 | 4,970 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,712 | 2,396 | 4,162 | |
| 1968 | D | 2,114 | 1,446 | 4,905 | |
| 1964 | D | 3,741 | 1,217 | 4,964 | |
| 1960 | D | 3,179 | 2,498 | 5,677 | |
| 1956 | D | 3,050 | 1,948 | 5,253 | |
| 1952 | D | 3,516 | 1,858 | 5,386 | |
| 1948 | D | 3,288 | 1,087 | 4,459 | |
| 1944 | D | 3,324 | 1,840 | 5,189 | |
| 1940 | D | 4,197 | 2,107 | 6,321 | |
| 1936 | D | 4,788 | 1,983 | 6,792 | |
| 1932 | D | 4,833 | 2,257 | 7,138 | |
| 1928 | D | 3,591 | 3,527 | 7,127 | |
| 1924 | D | 3,449 | 3,131 | 6,651 | |
| 1920 | D | 4,831 | 3,554 | 8,415 | |
| 1916 | D | 2,673 | 2,082 | 4,803 | |
| 1912 | D | 998 | 905 | 4,028 | |
| 1908 | D | 2,491 | 1,828 | 4,415 | |
| 1904 | D | 2,134 | 1,453 | 3,746 | |
| 1900 | D | 2,481 | 1,849 | 4,406 | |
| 1896 | D | 2,471 | 1,484 | 3,994 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,278 | 839 | 2,965 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Webster County, a rural coal-country community in western Kentucky, recorded an R+57.3 presidential margin in 2024—reflecting a broader realignment that has made once-competitive Appalachian-adjacent counties among the most Republican-leaning in the state.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Webster County peaked at fifty-one points in 1964; 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 four points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Webster County's median household income of $59,628 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 14% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Union County and Saline County.