| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 2,403 | 6,253 | 8,776 | |
| 2020 | R | 2,681 | 5,888 | 8,732 | |
| 2016 | R | 2,144 | 5,077 | 7,531 | |
| 2012 | R | 2,650 | 4,355 | 7,093 | |
| 2008 | R | 2,775 | 4,437 | 7,309 | |
| 2004 | R | 2,730 | 4,273 | 7,043 | |
| 2000 | R | 2,583 | 3,169 | 5,824 | |
| 1996 | D | 2,749 | 2,186 | 5,358 | |
| 1992 | D | 2,834 | 2,280 | 5,840 | |
| 1988 | R | 2,138 | 2,699 | 4,859 | |
| 1984 | R | 2,140 | 3,073 | 5,236 | |
| 1980 | D | 2,713 | 2,020 | 4,819 | |
| 1976 | D | 2,782 | 1,481 | 4,299 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,325 | 2,285 | 3,652 | |
| 1968 | D | 1,505 | 1,435 | 4,339 | |
| 1964 | D | 3,168 | 967 | 4,144 | |
| 1960 | D | 2,642 | 1,927 | 4,569 | |
| 1956 | D | 2,879 | 1,454 | 4,350 | |
| 1952 | D | 2,724 | 1,310 | 4,040 | |
| 1948 | D | 2,752 | 762 | 3,619 | |
| 1944 | D | 2,821 | 1,012 | 3,850 | |
| 1940 | D | 2,950 | 987 | 3,945 | |
| 1936 | D | 3,027 | 1,240 | 4,280 | |
| 1932 | D | 3,603 | 1,203 | 4,827 | |
| 1928 | D | 2,490 | 1,635 | 4,125 | |
| 1924 | D | 2,688 | 1,294 | 4,034 | |
| 1920 | D | 3,206 | 1,680 | 4,907 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,887 | 955 | 2,858 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,639 | 547 | 2,610 | |
| 1908 | D | 1,714 | 913 | 2,660 | |
| 1904 | D | 1,540 | 863 | 2,472 | |
| 1900 | D | 1,571 | 866 | 2,492 | |
| 1896 | D | 1,531 | 888 | 2,518 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,166 | 725 | 2,109 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Simpson County, anchored by the small city of Franklin near the Tennessee line, has shifted sharply toward lopsided Republican margins over the past two decades, reflecting a broader rural realignment across southern Kentucky.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Simpson County peaked at fifty-five points in 1948; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 2000 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of ten points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Simpson County's median household income of $59,858 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 16% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Treutlen County and Elbert County.