| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 190 | 1,412 | 1,614 | |
| 2020 | R | 206 | 1,486 | 1,720 | |
| 2016 | R | 181 | 1,462 | 1,704 | |
| 2012 | R | 192 | 1,298 | 1,509 | |
| 2008 | R | 216 | 1,345 | 1,570 | |
| 2004 | R | 257 | 1,380 | 1,643 | |
| 2000 | R | 251 | 1,203 | 1,474 | |
| 1996 | R | 344 | 986 | 1,438 | |
| 1992 | R | 479 | 989 | 1,700 | |
| 1988 | R | 527 | 1,170 | 1,705 | |
| 1984 | R | 413 | 1,650 | 2,067 | |
| 1980 | R | 592 | 1,152 | 1,780 | |
| 1976 | R | 707 | 858 | 1,578 | |
| 1972 | R | 214 | 942 | 1,157 | |
| 1968 | R | 400 | 699 | 1,300 | |
| 1964 | D | 649 | 563 | 1,213 | |
| 1960 | R | 333 | 847 | 1,181 | |
| 1956 | R | 401 | 620 | 1,022 | |
| 1952 | R | 590 | 892 | 1,482 | |
| 1948 | D | 930 | 201 | 1,178 | |
| 1944 | D | 792 | 274 | 1,143 | |
| 1940 | D | 868 | 170 | 1,038 | |
| 1936 | D | 1,008 | 121 | 1,134 | |
| 1932 | D | 918 | 133 | 1,052 | |
| 1928 | R | 317 | 489 | 806 | |
| 1924 | D | 405 | 167 | 643 | |
| 1920 | D | 417 | 253 | 678 | |
| 1916 | D | 496 | 141 | 675 | |
| 1912 | D | 312 | 61 | 531 | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1896 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1892 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Hemphill County's sparse population and ranching economy anchor a voting pattern typical of the Texas Panhandle, where the 2024 presidential margin exceeded 75 points—among the widest gaps recorded statewide.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Hemphill County peaked at seventy-eight points in 1936; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1968 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of twenty-three points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Hemphill County's median household income of $61,563 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Beaver County and Cimarron County.