| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 5,926 | 15,206 | 21,455 | |
| 2020 | R | 5,870 | 14,815 | 21,183 | |
| 2016 | R | 4,989 | 13,057 | 19,333 | |
| 2012 | R | 6,071 | 11,745 | 18,232 | |
| 2008 | R | 7,580 | 11,389 | 19,321 | |
| 2004 | R | 6,559 | 11,108 | 17,773 | |
| 2000 | R | 6,708 | 8,238 | 15,308 | |
| 1996 | D | 5,880 | 5,567 | 13,137 | |
| 1992 | D | 5,799 | 4,880 | 13,981 | |
| 1988 | R | 5,209 | 6,687 | 11,938 | |
| 1984 | R | 4,327 | 8,262 | 12,589 | |
| 1980 | R | 5,560 | 6,755 | 12,835 | |
| 1976 | R | 4,843 | 5,115 | 10,059 | |
| 1972 | R | 3,036 | 6,313 | 9,349 | |
| 1968 | R | 3,738 | 4,277 | 9,291 | |
| 1964 | D | 5,916 | 2,983 | 8,899 | |
| 1960 | D | 5,344 | 4,054 | 9,398 | |
| 1956 | D | 5,165 | 3,572 | 8,737 | |
| 1952 | D | 5,484 | 3,818 | 9,321 | |
| 1948 | D | 6,215 | 2,433 | 8,658 | |
| 1944 | D | 5,757 | 3,143 | 8,924 | |
| 1940 | D | 7,162 | 3,574 | 10,757 | |
| 1936 | D | 7,160 | 3,112 | 10,293 | |
| 1932 | D | 7,042 | 2,079 | 9,172 | |
| 1928 | D | 5,153 | 3,269 | 8,437 | |
| 1924 | D | 5,904 | 2,799 | 8,836 | |
| 1920 | D | 6,035 | 3,274 | 9,339 | |
| 1916 | D | 3,882 | 2,009 | 5,919 | |
| 1912 | D | 3,544 | 1,525 | 5,402 | |
| 1908 | D | 3,878 | 1,911 | 5,845 | |
| 1904 | D | 3,596 | 1,765 | 5,466 | |
| 1900 | D | 4,133 | 1,864 | 6,053 | |
| 1896 | D | 4,358 | 1,849 | 6,278 | |
| 1892 | D | 3,620 | 1,453 | 5,296 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Callaway County, situated along the Missouri River northeast of Jefferson City, has shifted decisively toward Republican candidates over the past two decades, with 2024 margins reinforcing its status as one of the state's more reliably one-sided presidential battlegrounds.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Callaway County peaked at fifty-four points in 1932; 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 ten points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Callaway County's median household income of $74,176 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 12% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Scott County and Crittenden County.