| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 2,525 | 6,719 | 9,445 | |
| 2020 | R | 2,392 | 6,693 | 9,420 | |
| 2016 | R | 1,717 | 5,275 | 7,999 | |
| 2012 | R | 2,275 | 5,090 | 7,567 | |
| 2008 | R | 3,468 | 4,091 | 7,777 | |
| 2004 | R | 3,415 | 4,950 | 8,508 | |
| 2000 | R | 3,298 | 3,758 | 7,384 | |
| 1996 | D | 4,172 | 2,343 | 7,582 | |
| 1992 | D | 4,480 | 2,038 | 8,817 | |
| 1988 | D | 5,521 | 3,019 | 8,603 | |
| 1984 | R | 4,357 | 4,393 | 8,818 | |
| 1980 | R | 4,317 | 4,320 | 9,063 | |
| 1976 | D | 5,157 | 3,360 | 8,683 | |
| 1972 | R | 3,335 | 3,956 | 7,438 | |
| 1968 | D | 4,344 | 2,618 | 7,239 | |
| 1964 | D | 5,672 | 2,130 | 7,802 | |
| 1960 | D | 6,039 | 2,953 | 9,006 | |
| 1956 | R | 4,460 | 4,507 | 8,967 | |
| 1952 | D | 5,790 | 3,770 | 9,560 | |
| 1948 | D | 6,397 | 2,704 | 9,360 | |
| 1944 | D | 5,364 | 2,318 | 7,696 | |
| 1940 | D | 5,180 | 2,242 | 7,456 | |
| 1936 | D | 5,040 | 1,348 | 6,510 | |
| 1932 | D | 4,239 | 1,655 | 6,120 | |
| 1928 | D | 2,954 | 2,184 | 5,188 | |
| 1924 | R | 1,528 | 1,878 | 4,996 | |
| 1920 | R | 1,559 | 1,675 | 3,560 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,478 | 1,301 | 2,931 | |
| 1912 | R | 514 | 771 | 2,177 | |
| 1908 | R | 581 | 1,023 | 1,710 | |
| 1904 | R | 508 | 1,224 | 1,872 | |
| 1900 | R | 621 | 748 | 1,385 | |
| 1896 | D | 663 | 85 | 748 | |
| 1892 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Carbon County's economy was built on coal mining, and that heritage tracks closely with its voting patterns — the county swung to Republicans by 44 points in 2024, among the widest margins in a state already tilted heavily right.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Carbon County peaked at seventy-seven points in 1896; 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 six points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Carbon County's median household income of $58,377 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 17% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Fisher County and Union County.