| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 2,065 | 7,247 | 9,373 | |
| 2020 | R | 2,314 | 7,060 | 9,448 | |
| 2016 | R | 1,978 | 6,205 | 8,353 | |
| 2012 | R | 2,265 | 5,880 | 8,214 | |
| 2008 | R | 2,656 | 5,872 | 8,624 | |
| 2004 | R | 2,921 | 5,848 | 8,806 | |
| 2000 | R | 2,833 | 5,308 | 8,236 | |
| 1996 | R | 3,383 | 3,443 | 7,439 | |
| 1992 | D | 3,250 | 3,067 | 8,020 | |
| 1988 | R | 3,846 | 3,882 | 7,764 | |
| 1984 | R | 3,275 | 4,542 | 7,834 | |
| 1980 | D | 4,181 | 2,889 | 7,144 | |
| 1976 | D | 3,179 | 2,229 | 5,421 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,844 | 3,317 | 5,187 | |
| 1968 | D | 2,782 | 1,391 | 6,237 | |
| 1964 | D | 3,681 | 1,675 | 5,366 | |
| 1960 | D | 2,703 | 1,591 | 4,383 | |
| 1956 | D | 1,998 | 1,941 | 3,958 | |
| 1952 | D | 2,900 | 2,222 | 5,126 | |
| 1948 | D | 2,014 | 532 | 3,104 | |
| 1944 | D | 2,329 | 233 | 3,146 | |
| 1940 | D | 3,579 | 474 | 4,056 | |
| 1936 | D | 2,458 | 99 | 2,559 | |
| 1932 | D | 3,087 | 165 | 3,255 | |
| 1928 | D | 1,336 | 763 | 2,099 | |
| 1924 | D | 3,289 | 457 | 3,784 | |
| 1920 | D | 1,475 | 385 | 2,981 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,730 | 373 | 2,265 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,457 | 342 | 2,107 | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1896 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1892 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Houston County, anchored by the small city of Crockett, is a heavily rural East Texas county where Republican presidential candidates have carried more than three-quarters of the vote in recent cycles, reflecting the region's long shift away from its historically Democratic roots.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Houston County peaked at ninety-two points in 1936; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1996 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of one points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Houston County's median household income of $56,531 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Madison County and Jones County.