| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 3,473 | 13,841 | 17,572 | |
| 2020 | R | 3,768 | 13,851 | 17,924 | |
| 2016 | R | 3,711 | 12,753 | 17,271 | |
| 2012 | R | 4,831 | 10,841 | 15,672 | |
| 2008 | R | 5,457 | 11,752 | 17,209 | |
| 2004 | R | 7,452 | 11,134 | 18,586 | |
| 2000 | R | 7,627 | 8,514 | 16,357 | |
| 1996 | D | 8,475 | 5,966 | 16,766 | |
| 1992 | D | 8,523 | 5,659 | 18,827 | |
| 1988 | D | 8,623 | 7,594 | 16,342 | |
| 1984 | R | 6,860 | 9,778 | 16,760 | |
| 1980 | D | 8,292 | 7,062 | 15,857 | |
| 1976 | D | 10,743 | 4,807 | 15,692 | |
| 1972 | R | 4,748 | 9,989 | 15,040 | |
| 1968 | D | 6,112 | 3,978 | 13,816 | |
| 1964 | D | 9,903 | 3,555 | 13,458 | |
| 1960 | D | 7,310 | 5,834 | 13,144 | |
| 1956 | D | 8,382 | 5,239 | 13,621 | |
| 1952 | D | 9,546 | 5,909 | 15,455 | |
| 1948 | D | 9,576 | 2,893 | 12,469 | |
| 1944 | D | 8,535 | 4,068 | 12,626 | |
| 1940 | D | 10,169 | 4,484 | 14,676 | |
| 1936 | D | 9,974 | 3,651 | 13,668 | |
| 1932 | D | 10,536 | 2,396 | 12,932 | |
| 1928 | D | 5,960 | 5,875 | 11,942 | |
| 1924 | D | 6,062 | 3,554 | 10,765 | |
| 1920 | R | 5,361 | 5,371 | 11,387 | |
| 1916 | D | 3,441 | 1,879 | 6,209 | |
| 1912 | D | 2,767 | 1,574 | 5,814 | |
| 1908 | D | 2,891 | 2,735 | 6,266 | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1896 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1892 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Pittsburg County, anchored by McAlester in southeastern Oklahoma, has shifted dramatically rightward over two decades despite a historically Democratic labor heritage tied to coal mining — the 2024 presidential margin reached R+59.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Pittsburg County peaked at sixty-three 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 five points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Pittsburg County's median household income of $55,310 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 18% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Atoka County and Cherokee County.