| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 1,233 | 3,991 | 5,313 | |
| 2020 | R | 1,457 | 4,120 | 5,664 | |
| 2016 | R | 1,321 | 3,537 | 5,100 | |
| 2012 | R | 1,998 | 2,725 | 4,810 | |
| 2008 | D | 2,704 | 2,629 | 5,408 | |
| 2004 | D | 3,035 | 2,986 | 6,051 | |
| 2000 | D | 2,719 | 2,529 | 5,328 | |
| 1996 | D | 3,001 | 1,441 | 4,996 | |
| 1992 | D | 3,396 | 1,535 | 5,765 | |
| 1988 | D | 3,377 | 2,024 | 5,423 | |
| 1984 | D | 3,350 | 2,902 | 6,265 | |
| 1980 | D | 3,795 | 2,403 | 6,408 | |
| 1976 | D | 4,012 | 1,913 | 5,925 | |
| 1972 | R | 2,771 | 3,155 | 5,926 | |
| 1968 | D | 3,268 | 2,441 | 6,050 | |
| 1964 | D | 4,787 | 1,867 | 6,654 | |
| 1960 | D | 4,185 | 2,977 | 7,162 | |
| 1956 | D | 3,913 | 3,441 | 7,354 | |
| 1952 | D | 4,259 | 3,382 | 7,641 | |
| 1948 | D | 4,287 | 2,864 | 7,158 | |
| 1944 | D | 4,313 | 3,023 | 7,336 | |
| 1940 | D | 5,709 | 4,056 | 9,765 | |
| 1936 | D | 5,667 | 3,709 | 9,392 | |
| 1932 | D | 6,043 | 3,560 | 9,661 | |
| 1928 | D | 4,582 | 4,028 | 8,651 | |
| 1924 | D | 5,168 | 4,192 | 9,490 | |
| 1920 | R | 4,269 | 4,274 | 8,563 | |
| 1916 | D | 2,957 | 2,332 | 5,298 | |
| 1912 | D | 2,611 | 580 | 5,046 | |
| 1908 | D | 2,565 | 2,365 | 5,047 | |
| 1904 | D | 2,324 | 2,177 | 4,575 | |
| 1900 | R | 1,894 | 2,103 | 4,028 | |
| 1896 | D | 2,188 | 1,453 | 3,677 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,790 | 1,113 | 3,175 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Braxton County, nestled in the rugged Elk River highlands, recorded an R+51.9 margin in 2024, reflecting a broader realignment that has made rural central West Virginia among the most reliably one-sided terrain in Appalachian politics.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Braxton County peaked at forty-four points in 1964; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 2012 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of fifteen points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Braxton County's median household income of $50,331 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 20% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Brooke County and Webster County.