| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 479 | 2,478 | 2,998 | |
| 2020 | R | 610 | 2,759 | 3,402 | |
| 2016 | R | 556 | 2,302 | 3,011 | |
| 2012 | R | 947 | 1,710 | 2,773 | |
| 2008 | D | 1,552 | 1,386 | 3,052 | |
| 2004 | D | 1,965 | 1,724 | 3,714 | |
| 2000 | D | 1,764 | 1,484 | 3,308 | |
| 1996 | D | 2,292 | 654 | 3,331 | |
| 1992 | D | 2,320 | 811 | 3,576 | |
| 1988 | D | 2,185 | 1,016 | 3,217 | |
| 1984 | D | 2,355 | 1,565 | 3,926 | |
| 1980 | D | 2,578 | 1,262 | 3,974 | |
| 1976 | D | 2,931 | 971 | 3,902 | |
| 1972 | R | 2,069 | 2,114 | 4,183 | |
| 1968 | D | 2,582 | 1,241 | 4,107 | |
| 1964 | D | 3,755 | 936 | 4,691 | |
| 1960 | D | 3,479 | 1,689 | 5,168 | |
| 1956 | D | 3,072 | 2,457 | 5,529 | |
| 1952 | D | 3,767 | 2,229 | 5,996 | |
| 1948 | D | 3,726 | 1,527 | 5,267 | |
| 1944 | D | 3,285 | 1,595 | 4,880 | |
| 1940 | D | 4,579 | 2,067 | 6,646 | |
| 1936 | D | 4,613 | 1,987 | 6,618 | |
| 1932 | D | 3,664 | 1,781 | 5,475 | |
| 1928 | D | 2,306 | 1,936 | 4,252 | |
| 1924 | D | 2,523 | 1,617 | 4,180 | |
| 1920 | D | 1,942 | 1,562 | 3,509 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,513 | 854 | 2,381 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,330 | 307 | 2,184 | |
| 1908 | D | 1,196 | 932 | 2,166 | |
| 1904 | D | 1,208 | 883 | 2,091 | |
| 1900 | R | 797 | 1,147 | 1,944 | |
| 1896 | D | 972 | 709 | 1,681 | |
| 1892 | D | 737 | 353 | 1,095 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Webster County's R+66.7 margin in 2024 reflects a rural, coal-country electorate that has shifted sharply over the past two decades, making it among the most Republican-leaning counties in the nation by raw margin.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Webster County peaked at sixty 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 twenty-eight points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Webster County's median household income of $43,839 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 Braxton County and Brooke County.