| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 43 | 583 | 629 | |
| 2020 | R | 51 | 584 | 639 | |
| 2016 | R | 70 | 549 | 633 | |
| 2012 | R | 31 | 459 | 494 | |
| 2008 | R | 97 | 520 | 619 | |
| 2004 | R | 71 | 544 | 615 | |
| 2000 | R | 132 | 520 | 659 | |
| 1996 | R | 186 | 394 | 669 | |
| 1992 | R | 127 | 322 | 634 | |
| 1988 | R | 188 | 464 | 656 | |
| 1984 | R | 129 | 577 | 710 | |
| 1980 | R | 218 | 364 | 586 | |
| 1976 | R | 174 | 202 | 381 | |
| 1972 | R | 94 | 286 | 383 | |
| 1968 | R | 151 | 170 | 375 | |
| 1964 | D | 243 | 140 | 384 | |
| 1960 | D | 193 | 182 | 375 | |
| 1956 | R | 150 | 223 | 373 | |
| 1952 | R | 158 | 277 | 435 | |
| 1948 | D | 244 | 17 | 268 | |
| 1944 | D | 330 | 18 | 358 | |
| 1940 | D | 425 | 16 | 441 | |
| 1936 | D | 384 | 14 | 398 | |
| 1932 | D | 354 | 13 | 367 | |
| 1928 | D | 167 | 122 | 289 | |
| 1924 | D | 243 | 25 | 269 | |
| 1920 | D | 152 | 17 | 186 | |
| 1916 | D | 205 | 6 | 212 | |
| 1912 | D | 165 | 4 | 180 | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1896 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1892 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Sterling County's 2024 presidential margin of R+85.8 ranks it among the most one-sided results in the state, a pattern consistent with rural West Texas counties where ranching economies and sparse settlement reinforce durable partisan alignment.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Sterling County peaked at ninety-four points in 1916; 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 five points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Sterling County's median household income of $64,954 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Bear Lake County and Austin County.