| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 10,616 | 24,339 | 35,338 | |
| 2020 | R | 12,189 | 24,207 | 36,954 | |
| 2016 | R | 10,029 | 22,220 | 32,913 | |
| 2012 | R | 12,563 | 22,415 | 35,306 | |
| 2008 | R | 12,021 | 22,694 | 34,960 | |
| 2004 | R | 10,127 | 20,254 | 30,639 | |
| 2000 | R | 9,142 | 15,551 | 25,094 | |
| 1996 | R | 8,438 | 11,815 | 21,686 | |
| 1992 | R | 7,710 | 12,231 | 22,501 | |
| 1988 | R | 6,604 | 13,767 | 20,728 | |
| 1984 | R | 6,208 | 13,312 | 19,730 | |
| 1980 | D | 10,047 | 8,326 | 18,889 | |
| 1976 | D | 8,504 | 7,366 | 16,333 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,632 | 10,730 | 12,991 | |
| 1968 | R | 1,912 | 2,522 | 13,666 | |
| 1964 | R | 2,409 | 5,165 | 7,574 | |
| 1960 | D | 3,653 | 1,550 | 6,641 | |
| 1956 | D | 3,883 | 929 | 5,157 | |
| 1952 | D | 4,174 | 2,002 | 6,176 | |
| 1948 | D | 636 | 82 | 3,846 | |
| 1944 | D | 3,509 | 230 | 3,739 | |
| 1940 | D | 3,814 | 120 | 3,935 | |
| 1936 | D | 3,585 | 42 | 3,627 | |
| 1932 | D | 3,704 | 129 | 3,838 | |
| 1928 | D | 2,757 | 367 | 3,124 | |
| 1924 | D | 2,621 | 152 | 2,773 | |
| 1920 | D | 1,652 | 302 | 1,964 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,683 | 91 | 1,779 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,390 | 39 | 1,486 | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | D | 1,031 | 63 | 1,124 | |
| 1896 | D | 1,241 | 34 | 1,287 | |
| 1892 | D | 749 | 7 | 1,110 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Lee County's urban core in Tupelo anchors a consistently right-leaning electorate in northeast Mississippi, where the 2024 presidential margin held near four decades of pattern — a 38-point Republican advantage with little competitive pressure.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Lee County peaked at ninety-eight points in 1936; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1984 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of thirty-six points. By 2024, the margin had settled into deep Republican territory.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Lee County's median household income of $67,863 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Campbell County and Bay County.