| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 1,419 | 744 | 2,179 | |
| 2020 | D | 1,612 | 754 | 2,381 | |
| 2016 | D | 1,530 | 789 | 2,366 | |
| 2012 | D | 1,793 | 886 | 2,696 | |
| 2008 | D | 1,702 | 897 | 2,617 | |
| 2004 | D | 1,247 | 970 | 2,221 | |
| 2000 | D | 1,116 | 938 | 2,080 | |
| 1996 | D | 1,103 | 835 | 2,054 | |
| 1992 | R | 1,048 | 1,094 | 2,319 | |
| 1988 | R | 977 | 1,289 | 2,277 | |
| 1984 | R | 807 | 1,252 | 2,078 | |
| 1980 | R | 855 | 988 | 1,902 | |
| 1976 | R | 899 | 1,055 | 2,020 | |
| 1972 | R | 948 | 1,910 | 2,998 | |
| 1968 | R | 657 | 812 | 2,191 | |
| 1964 | D | 2,055 | 1,149 | 3,206 | |
| 1960 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1956 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1952 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1948 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1944 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1936 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1932 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1928 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1924 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1916 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1912 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1896 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1892 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Emporia, an independent city of roughly 5,600 on the Meherrin River, has delivered Democratic presidential margins exceeding 30 points in recent cycles, reflecting the heavily Black electorate that makes up a majority of its population.
The Democratic margin in Emporia city peaked at thirty-six points in 2020. By 1996 the county had flipped, voting Republican for the first time in many years. The 2024 margin was thirty-one points, the most Democratic-leaning result in the county's modern history.
The economic context is the key. Emporia city's median household income of $51,899 sits well below state and national norms, and 16% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The shift here is part of a broader realignment of working-class places across the country. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Hinds County and Richmond County.