| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 6,816 | 23,644 | 30,966 | |
| 2020 | R | 7,982 | 24,673 | 33,114 | |
| 2016 | R | 6,443 | 22,048 | 29,892 | |
| 2012 | R | 7,739 | 20,614 | 28,837 | |
| 2008 | R | 10,237 | 17,548 | 28,257 | |
| 2004 | R | 11,815 | 18,519 | 30,525 | |
| 2000 | R | 11,047 | 12,587 | 24,061 | |
| 1996 | D | 12,547 | 8,628 | 23,622 | |
| 1992 | D | 13,171 | 8,700 | 25,214 | |
| 1988 | D | 14,302 | 10,395 | 24,782 | |
| 1984 | R | 14,442 | 14,571 | 29,122 | |
| 1980 | D | 16,955 | 10,713 | 28,831 | |
| 1976 | D | 19,768 | 10,637 | 30,405 | |
| 1972 | R | 10,586 | 19,150 | 29,736 | |
| 1968 | D | 17,744 | 8,775 | 29,506 | |
| 1964 | D | 23,606 | 6,952 | 30,558 | |
| 1960 | D | 20,448 | 12,088 | 32,536 | |
| 1956 | R | 16,264 | 16,318 | 32,582 | |
| 1952 | D | 22,704 | 14,005 | 36,709 | |
| 1948 | D | 19,697 | 10,414 | 30,259 | |
| 1944 | D | 17,988 | 10,323 | 28,311 | |
| 1940 | D | 23,105 | 11,752 | 34,857 | |
| 1936 | D | 22,840 | 9,001 | 31,885 | |
| 1932 | D | 15,456 | 11,441 | 27,078 | |
| 1928 | R | 10,366 | 11,581 | 21,947 | |
| 1924 | R | 7,776 | 8,643 | 17,486 | |
| 1920 | R | 5,916 | 7,668 | 13,646 | |
| 1916 | R | 3,319 | 3,791 | 7,261 | |
| 1912 | D | 2,343 | 897 | 6,528 | |
| 1908 | R | 1,891 | 2,530 | 4,587 | |
| 1904 | R | 1,394 | 1,849 | 3,356 | |
| 1900 | D | 1,385 | 1,126 | 2,515 | |
| 1896 | R | 1,103 | 1,150 | 2,259 | |
| 1892 | D | 965 | 871 | 1,858 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Raleigh County sits in the heart of southern West Virginia's former coal belt, and its electorate has shifted sharply rightward over the past two decades — posting R+54.3 in 2024 in a county that once backed Democrats reliably.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Raleigh County peaked at fifty-four 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 six points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Raleigh County's median household income of $52,150 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 23% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Bryan County and Marshall County.