| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 869 | 5,649 | 6,568 | |
| 2020 | R | 842 | 5,155 | 6,053 | |
| 2016 | R | 628 | 3,968 | 4,701 | |
| 2012 | R | 761 | 3,279 | 4,087 | |
| 2008 | R | 1,048 | 3,146 | 4,236 | |
| 2004 | R | 1,213 | 2,998 | 4,229 | |
| 2000 | R | 1,225 | 2,049 | 3,333 | |
| 1996 | D | 1,265 | 1,123 | 2,733 | |
| 1992 | D | 1,108 | 975 | 2,983 | |
| 1988 | D | 1,448 | 1,281 | 2,736 | |
| 1984 | R | 1,027 | 1,560 | 2,591 | |
| 1980 | D | 1,174 | 813 | 2,022 | |
| 1976 | D | 1,339 | 510 | 1,855 | |
| 1972 | R | 532 | 865 | 1,404 | |
| 1968 | D | 558 | 340 | 1,204 | |
| 1964 | D | 893 | 272 | 1,168 | |
| 1960 | D | 680 | 401 | 1,081 | |
| 1956 | D | 524 | 427 | 952 | |
| 1952 | D | 588 | 500 | 1,088 | |
| 1948 | D | 739 | 111 | 944 | |
| 1944 | D | 628 | 137 | 916 | |
| 1940 | D | 1,080 | 251 | 1,333 | |
| 1936 | D | 676 | 63 | 741 | |
| 1932 | D | 937 | 41 | 985 | |
| 1928 | D | 544 | 202 | 751 | |
| 1924 | D | 899 | 151 | 1,098 | |
| 1920 | D | 462 | 189 | 789 | |
| 1916 | D | 509 | 71 | 869 | |
| 1912 | D | 444 | 67 | 768 | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1896 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1892 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Rains County, anchored by the town of Emory east of Dallas, consistently delivers lopsided Republican margins — its 2024 spread of nearly 73 points ranks among the most one-sided results in the state.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Rains County peaked at ninety-one 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 twenty-five points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Rains County's median household income of $65,413 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of San Jacinto County and Shelby County.