| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 2,209 | 1,677 | 4,411 | |
| 2020 | D | 3,092 | 1,668 | 5,084 | |
| 2016 | D | 2,772 | 1,116 | 5,014 | |
| 2012 | D | 3,415 | 1,122 | 4,770 | |
| 2008 | D | 2,695 | 2,250 | 5,172 | |
| 2004 | R | 2,118 | 2,188 | 4,510 | |
| 2000 | D | 2,227 | 2,022 | 4,799 | |
| 1996 | D | 2,784 | 1,467 | 4,818 | |
| 1992 | R | 1,841 | 1,842 | 4,590 | |
| 1988 | R | 1,671 | 1,952 | 3,766 | |
| 1984 | R | 2,103 | 2,401 | 4,665 | |
| 1980 | D | 2,063 | 858 | 3,371 | |
| 1976 | D | 1,410 | 1,345 | 2,865 | |
| 1972 | D | 1,424 | 1,033 | 2,545 | |
| 1968 | D | 1,292 | 939 | 2,389 | |
| 1964 | D | 1,649 | 256 | 1,906 | |
| 1960 | R | 381 | 786 | 1,167 | |
| 1956 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1952 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1948 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1944 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1936 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1932 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1928 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1924 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1916 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1912 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1896 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1892 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Bethel Census Area spans a roadless stretch of western Alaska where Yup'ik communities make up the majority of the population, producing Democratic margins that stand out sharply against the state's otherwise Republican-leaning presidential map.
The Democratic margin in Bethel Census Area peaked at seventy-three points in 1964. By 2008 the county had flipped, voting Republican for the first time in many years. The 2024 margin was twelve points, the most Democratic-leaning result in the county's modern history.
The economic context is the key. Bethel Census Area's median household income of $73,996 sits well below state and national norms, and 26% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The shift here is part of a broader realignment of working-class places across the country. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Kusilvak Census Area and Imperial County.