| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 698 | 1,589 | 2,325 | |
| 2020 | R | 839 | 1,757 | 2,679 | |
| 2016 | R | 1,032 | 1,758 | 2,816 | |
| 2012 | R | 1,173 | 1,713 | 2,929 | |
| 2008 | R | 1,133 | 1,685 | 2,902 | |
| 2004 | R | 1,567 | 1,604 | 3,191 | |
| 2000 | D | 1,806 | 1,538 | 3,383 | |
| 1996 | D | 2,466 | 971 | 3,845 | |
| 1992 | D | 2,273 | 1,188 | 3,979 | |
| 1988 | D | 1,915 | 1,860 | 3,800 | |
| 1984 | R | 1,695 | 2,290 | 4,007 | |
| 1980 | D | 1,947 | 1,756 | 3,776 | |
| 1976 | D | 2,342 | 1,467 | 3,809 | |
| 1972 | R | 952 | 2,460 | 3,421 | |
| 1968 | D | 1,208 | 672 | 3,584 | |
| 1964 | D | 1,484 | 1,476 | 2,967 | |
| 1960 | D | 1,286 | 713 | 2,325 | |
| 1956 | D | 1,348 | 836 | 2,280 | |
| 1952 | D | 1,637 | 733 | 2,386 | |
| 1948 | D | 700 | 113 | 1,424 | |
| 1944 | D | 1,150 | 177 | 1,327 | |
| 1940 | D | 1,352 | 159 | 1,536 | |
| 1936 | D | 1,279 | 100 | 1,382 | |
| 1932 | D | 1,495 | 151 | 1,652 | |
| 1928 | D | 991 | 435 | 1,427 | |
| 1924 | D | 788 | 298 | 1,215 | |
| 1920 | D | 954 | 500 | 1,454 | |
| 1916 | D | 891 | 365 | 1,256 | |
| 1912 | D | 498 | 208 | 871 | |
| 1908 | D | 739 | 552 | 1,311 | |
| 1904 | D | 614 | 566 | 1,213 | |
| 1900 | R | 422 | 448 | 871 | |
| 1896 | D | 608 | 423 | 1,036 | |
| 1892 | D | 438 | 367 | 805 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Lafayette County's population has fallen below 9,000 as agriculture remains the dominant economic base, and its presidential margins have shifted sharply rightward over the past two decades, reflecting broader rural realignment across the Arkansas Timberlands region.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Lafayette County peaked at eighty-five points in 1936; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 2004 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of one points. By 2024, the margin had settled into deep Republican territory.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Lafayette County's median household income of $41,278 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 22% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Nevada County and Bradley County.