| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 3,017 | 6,255 | 9,400 | |
| 2020 | R | 3,340 | 6,106 | 9,594 | |
| 2016 | R | 3,237 | 5,317 | 9,217 | |
| 2012 | D | 4,806 | 4,164 | 9,138 | |
| 2008 | D | 5,195 | 3,651 | 8,989 | |
| 2004 | D | 4,736 | 4,312 | 9,168 | |
| 2000 | D | 4,238 | 4,034 | 8,571 | |
| 1996 | D | 4,284 | 2,944 | 8,194 | |
| 1992 | D | 3,742 | 3,044 | 9,190 | |
| 1988 | D | 4,320 | 3,839 | 8,242 | |
| 1984 | R | 3,446 | 5,029 | 8,553 | |
| 1980 | R | 3,297 | 5,115 | 9,206 | |
| 1976 | R | 3,804 | 4,826 | 8,807 | |
| 1972 | R | 3,366 | 5,447 | 9,048 | |
| 1968 | R | 3,168 | 5,132 | 8,878 | |
| 1964 | D | 5,624 | 3,923 | 9,550 | |
| 1960 | R | 4,612 | 6,441 | 11,057 | |
| 1956 | R | 4,384 | 6,529 | 10,926 | |
| 1952 | R | 3,730 | 7,669 | 11,408 | |
| 1948 | R | 4,857 | 5,151 | 10,111 | |
| 1944 | R | 4,259 | 5,855 | 10,163 | |
| 1940 | R | 4,973 | 7,443 | 12,434 | |
| 1936 | D | 6,731 | 5,017 | 12,236 | |
| 1932 | D | 7,347 | 3,725 | 11,134 | |
| 1928 | R | 4,231 | 6,774 | 11,054 | |
| 1924 | R | 1,556 | 4,168 | 10,049 | |
| 1920 | R | 1,808 | 6,747 | 8,706 | |
| 1916 | R | 2,379 | 3,347 | 5,817 | |
| 1912 | D | 2,919 | 1,239 | 5,861 | |
| 1908 | D | 3,026 | 2,773 | 5,895 | |
| 1904 | R | 2,628 | 3,339 | 6,117 | |
| 1900 | R | 2,884 | 3,366 | 6,342 | |
| 1896 | R | 2,910 | 3,302 | 6,331 | |
| 1892 | D | 3,337 | 2,443 | 5,869 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Clayton's rugged Driftless Area landscape anchors a rural, largely white agricultural county that delivered a 34.5-point Republican margin in 2024 — a dramatic shift from the competitive results it posted in earlier cycles.
The Republican margin in Clayton County reached its widest at fifty-seven points in 1920. The margin in 2024 was thirty-four points, in line with the county's deep historical pattern.
Clayton County's loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $67,242, a 95% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 17,013 together describe a community whose political habits are deeply settled. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Mitchell County and Henderson County.
