| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 43,357 | 18,383 | 62,823 | |
| 2020 | D | 46,220 | 18,430 | 65,901 | |
| 2016 | D | 41,312 | 17,902 | 62,277 | |
| 2012 | D | 46,966 | 18,640 | 66,490 | |
| 2008 | D | 46,917 | 20,476 | 67,943 | |
| 2004 | D | 32,016 | 23,399 | 55,741 | |
| 2000 | D | 27,490 | 19,561 | 47,887 | |
| 1996 | D | 24,493 | 16,596 | 44,507 | |
| 1992 | D | 23,395 | 19,219 | 49,878 | |
| 1988 | R | 19,106 | 24,034 | 43,818 | |
| 1984 | R | 18,180 | 25,537 | 44,068 | |
| 1980 | D | 18,517 | 17,023 | 37,765 | |
| 1976 | D | 19,202 | 15,021 | 36,048 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,702 | 3,211 | 4,976 | |
| 1968 | D | 11,308 | 10,532 | 32,606 | |
| 1964 | D | 717 | 697 | 1,416 | |
| 1960 | R | 7,133 | 7,623 | 14,808 | |
| 1956 | R | 5,108 | 7,432 | 12,983 | |
| 1952 | R | 4,946 | 5,505 | 10,481 | |
| 1948 | D | 3,471 | 1,988 | 6,023 | |
| 1944 | D | 3,550 | 1,425 | 4,991 | |
| 1940 | D | 3,312 | 867 | 4,194 | |
| 1936 | D | 2,896 | 787 | 3,702 | |
| 1932 | D | 1,998 | 994 | 3,043 | |
| 1928 | R | 1,422 | 1,666 | 3,088 | |
| 1924 | D | 1,167 | 441 | 1,719 | |
| 1920 | D | 1,276 | 591 | 1,915 | |
| 1916 | D | 761 | 188 | 970 | |
| 1912 | D | 700 | 56 | 858 | |
| 1908 | D | 673 | 251 | 939 | |
| 1904 | D | 600 | 211 | 818 | |
| 1900 | D | 1,027 | 697 | 1,738 | |
| 1896 | R | 572 | 919 | 1,530 | |
| 1892 | R | 891 | 1,309 | 2,276 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Hampton's electorate reflects a majority-Black population and a large community of active-duty and retired military personnel tied to Langley Air Force Base and the Port of Virginia, producing Democratic margins that routinely exceed 35 points in presidential contests.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Hampton city peaked at seventy-five points in 1912; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1992 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of eight points. By 2024, the margin had settled into deep Republican territory.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Hampton city's median household income of $69,621 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 13% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Dougherty County and Richland County.