| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 1,931 | 9,042 | 11,090 | |
| 2020 | R | 2,033 | 7,918 | 10,037 | |
| 2016 | R | 1,945 | 6,059 | 8,229 | |
| 2012 | R | 2,805 | 4,775 | 7,664 | |
| 2008 | R | 3,419 | 4,497 | 8,092 | |
| 2004 | D | 4,518 | 3,941 | 8,510 | |
| 2000 | D | 4,507 | 2,875 | 7,496 | |
| 1996 | D | 3,800 | 1,756 | 6,032 | |
| 1992 | D | 4,489 | 1,657 | 6,651 | |
| 1988 | D | 2,511 | 1,873 | 4,397 | |
| 1984 | D | 2,749 | 2,054 | 4,830 | |
| 1980 | D | 3,343 | 1,869 | 5,267 | |
| 1976 | D | 3,897 | 1,115 | 5,047 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,573 | 1,947 | 3,594 | |
| 1968 | D | 1,592 | 1,258 | 4,026 | |
| 1964 | D | 3,258 | 1,155 | 4,413 | |
| 1960 | D | 2,389 | 1,831 | 4,252 | |
| 1956 | D | 2,385 | 1,508 | 3,923 | |
| 1952 | D | 2,209 | 1,453 | 3,681 | |
| 1948 | D | 1,835 | 917 | 2,905 | |
| 1944 | D | 1,449 | 935 | 2,389 | |
| 1940 | D | 1,718 | 988 | 2,733 | |
| 1936 | D | 1,608 | 942 | 2,556 | |
| 1932 | D | 2,231 | 661 | 2,905 | |
| 1928 | R | 1,105 | 1,195 | 2,307 | |
| 1924 | D | 1,532 | 900 | 2,477 | |
| 1920 | R | 1,779 | 1,939 | 3,735 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,512 | 1,030 | 2,589 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,531 | 743 | 2,521 | |
| 1908 | D | 1,401 | 1,008 | 2,474 | |
| 1904 | D | 1,125 | 817 | 1,942 | |
| 1900 | D | 1,443 | 764 | 2,207 | |
| 1896 | D | 1,495 | 761 | 2,257 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,287 | 586 | 1,994 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Overton County's R+64.2 margin in 2024 places it among the most one-sided presidential counties in the state, reflecting the deep Republican realignment that has reshaped rural Upper Cumberland communities over the past two decades.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Overton County peaked at fifty-five points in 1976; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 2008 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of thirteen points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Overton County's median household income of $48,959 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 16% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Clay County and Benton County.