| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 486 | 1,822 | 2,344 | |
| 2020 | R | 599 | 2,012 | 2,662 | |
| 2016 | R | 545 | 1,896 | 2,579 | |
| 2012 | R | 840 | 1,595 | 2,522 | |
| 2008 | R | 1,004 | 1,445 | 2,521 | |
| 2004 | R | 1,159 | 1,665 | 2,852 | |
| 2000 | R | 1,092 | 1,560 | 2,740 | |
| 1996 | D | 1,390 | 933 | 2,649 | |
| 1992 | D | 1,576 | 1,085 | 3,154 | |
| 1988 | D | 1,661 | 1,387 | 3,064 | |
| 1984 | R | 1,494 | 1,953 | 3,452 | |
| 1980 | D | 1,854 | 1,452 | 3,486 | |
| 1976 | D | 2,245 | 1,371 | 3,616 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,359 | 2,056 | 3,415 | |
| 1968 | D | 1,582 | 1,401 | 3,197 | |
| 1964 | D | 2,832 | 1,116 | 3,948 | |
| 1960 | D | 2,075 | 1,446 | 3,521 | |
| 1956 | D | 2,016 | 1,774 | 3,790 | |
| 1952 | D | 2,291 | 1,813 | 4,104 | |
| 1948 | D | 2,355 | 1,421 | 3,776 | |
| 1944 | D | 2,509 | 1,651 | 4,160 | |
| 1940 | D | 3,276 | 2,067 | 5,343 | |
| 1936 | D | 3,433 | 1,858 | 5,291 | |
| 1932 | D | 3,511 | 1,530 | 5,078 | |
| 1928 | D | 2,313 | 1,705 | 4,044 | |
| 1924 | D | 2,750 | 1,570 | 4,350 | |
| 1920 | D | 1,854 | 1,635 | 3,510 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,695 | 943 | 2,647 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,493 | 469 | 2,500 | |
| 1908 | D | 1,512 | 989 | 2,558 | |
| 1904 | D | 1,435 | 1,080 | 2,573 | |
| 1900 | R | 1,117 | 1,410 | 2,541 | |
| 1896 | D | 1,356 | 1,000 | 2,367 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,187 | 816 | 2,045 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Gilmer County's 2024 presidential margin of R+57 exceeded even West Virginia's already lopsided statewide result, reflecting a rural, aging Appalachian electorate that has shifted sharply over the past two decades.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Gilmer County peaked at forty-three points in 1964; 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 seventeen points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Gilmer County's median household income of $47,981 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 19% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Greenbrier County and Barbour County.