| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 3,334 | 6,325 | 9,848 | |
| 2020 | R | 3,835 | 6,145 | 10,186 | |
| 2016 | R | 3,689 | 5,620 | 10,098 | |
| 2012 | D | 5,732 | 4,492 | 10,366 | |
| 2008 | D | 5,908 | 4,205 | 10,259 | |
| 2004 | D | 5,185 | 5,128 | 10,392 | |
| 2000 | R | 4,640 | 4,747 | 9,621 | |
| 1996 | D | 4,832 | 3,848 | 9,624 | |
| 1992 | D | 4,412 | 3,879 | 10,861 | |
| 1988 | D | 5,304 | 4,921 | 10,287 | |
| 1984 | R | 4,677 | 6,505 | 11,302 | |
| 1980 | R | 4,377 | 6,374 | 11,523 | |
| 1976 | R | 5,220 | 6,618 | 12,102 | |
| 1972 | R | 4,413 | 7,263 | 11,940 | |
| 1968 | R | 4,098 | 6,935 | 11,687 | |
| 1964 | D | 6,900 | 5,567 | 12,482 | |
| 1960 | R | 5,256 | 8,330 | 13,611 | |
| 1956 | R | 4,935 | 7,914 | 12,866 | |
| 1952 | R | 4,403 | 9,152 | 13,589 | |
| 1948 | R | 5,303 | 6,296 | 11,760 | |
| 1944 | R | 5,105 | 6,693 | 11,846 | |
| 1940 | R | 6,066 | 8,237 | 14,342 | |
| 1936 | D | 7,210 | 5,891 | 13,397 | |
| 1932 | D | 7,690 | 5,166 | 13,022 | |
| 1928 | R | 4,061 | 8,338 | 12,509 | |
| 1924 | R | 1,272 | 5,974 | 11,898 | |
| 1920 | R | 1,941 | 8,265 | 10,444 | |
| 1916 | R | 2,311 | 3,872 | 6,367 | |
| 1912 | D | 2,379 | 1,192 | 6,227 | |
| 1908 | R | 2,281 | 3,369 | 5,928 | |
| 1904 | R | 2,070 | 3,978 | 6,376 | |
| 1900 | R | 2,708 | 3,984 | 6,823 | |
| 1896 | R | 2,822 | 3,522 | 6,440 | |
| 1892 | R | 2,499 | 2,771 | 5,559 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Fayette County's population has declined steadily as agriculture consolidated, and its presidential margins have swung more than 30 points toward Republicans over the past two decades, mirroring broader rural Iowa realignment.
The county's recent history is a story of close margins. The Democratic margin reached nineteen points in 1932; the Republican margin reached sixty-one points in 1920. Most other elections have been decided by single-digit points.
Fayette County's demographics — a population of 19,288, a 92% non-Hispanic-white share, a median household income of $60,165 — situate the county close to national averages on several dimensions. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Clayton County and Sargent County.