| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 558 | 3,139 | 3,716 | |
| 2020 | R | 615 | 2,775 | 3,428 | |
| 2016 | R | 597 | 2,167 | 2,855 | |
| 2012 | R | 992 | 1,578 | 2,621 | |
| 2008 | R | 1,329 | 1,596 | 3,000 | |
| 2004 | D | 1,579 | 1,522 | 3,150 | |
| 2000 | D | 1,650 | 1,165 | 2,866 | |
| 1996 | D | 1,444 | 747 | 2,386 | |
| 1992 | D | 1,889 | 708 | 2,919 | |
| 1988 | D | 1,208 | 854 | 2,076 | |
| 1984 | D | 1,316 | 948 | 2,267 | |
| 1980 | D | 1,401 | 783 | 2,232 | |
| 1976 | D | 1,660 | 520 | 2,201 | |
| 1972 | D | 937 | 900 | 1,871 | |
| 1968 | D | 726 | 519 | 2,029 | |
| 1964 | D | 1,440 | 514 | 1,954 | |
| 1960 | D | 1,076 | 645 | 1,737 | |
| 1956 | D | 1,052 | 694 | 1,760 | |
| 1952 | D | 1,192 | 762 | 1,954 | |
| 1948 | D | 1,196 | 459 | 1,748 | |
| 1944 | D | 771 | 387 | 1,158 | |
| 1940 | D | 1,068 | 332 | 1,403 | |
| 1936 | D | 896 | 210 | 1,111 | |
| 1932 | D | 705 | 182 | 893 | |
| 1928 | D | 616 | 359 | 975 | |
| 1924 | D | 494 | 268 | 766 | |
| 1920 | R | 692 | 747 | 1,439 | |
| 1916 | D | 663 | 483 | 1,151 | |
| 1912 | D | 664 | 379 | 1,179 | |
| 1908 | D | 756 | 678 | 1,446 | |
| 1904 | D | 752 | 584 | 1,336 | |
| 1900 | D | 851 | 608 | 1,470 | |
| 1896 | D | 1,000 | 572 | 1,573 | |
| 1892 | D | 710 | 371 | 1,151 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Perry County's R+69.5 margin in 2024 places it among the most one-sided rural counties in the state. With fewer than 8,000 residents and an economy long tied to timber and small-scale agriculture, its electorate moves in near-unanimous fashion in federal contests.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Perry County peaked at sixty-two points in 1936; 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 nine points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Perry County's median household income of $55,972 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 Stewart County and Overton County.