| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 6,038 | 10,967 | 17,241 | |
| 2020 | R | 6,000 | 10,686 | 16,969 | |
| 2016 | R | 4,877 | 9,090 | 14,768 | |
| 2012 | R | 6,549 | 7,298 | 14,091 | |
| 2008 | D | 7,705 | 7,125 | 15,085 | |
| 2004 | R | 7,407 | 7,665 | 15,211 | |
| 2000 | D | 7,053 | 6,769 | 14,132 | |
| 1996 | D | 7,114 | 4,525 | 13,492 | |
| 1992 | D | 6,894 | 4,878 | 15,069 | |
| 1988 | R | 6,341 | 6,664 | 13,054 | |
| 1984 | R | 5,136 | 8,212 | 13,397 | |
| 1980 | R | 5,834 | 6,901 | 13,832 | |
| 1976 | R | 6,310 | 6,380 | 12,866 | |
| 1972 | R | 5,104 | 6,513 | 11,831 | |
| 1968 | R | 4,788 | 5,717 | 11,261 | |
| 1964 | D | 7,508 | 3,954 | 11,472 | |
| 1960 | R | 5,071 | 6,573 | 11,653 | |
| 1956 | R | 3,033 | 7,142 | 10,177 | |
| 1952 | R | 3,134 | 6,248 | 9,421 | |
| 1948 | R | 2,743 | 4,313 | 7,152 | |
| 1944 | R | 2,856 | 4,453 | 7,327 | |
| 1940 | R | 3,597 | 4,822 | 8,432 | |
| 1936 | R | 3,231 | 3,536 | 7,076 | |
| 1932 | D | 3,562 | 3,222 | 7,006 | |
| 1928 | R | 1,984 | 3,467 | 5,466 | |
| 1924 | R | 948 | 4,628 | 6,107 | |
| 1920 | R | 1,893 | 3,467 | 5,470 | |
| 1916 | R | 1,392 | 2,020 | 3,487 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,105 | 709 | 3,547 | |
| 1908 | R | 949 | 2,358 | 3,464 | |
| 1904 | R | 907 | 2,498 | 3,601 | |
| 1900 | R | 1,435 | 2,283 | 3,847 | |
| 1896 | R | 1,665 | 1,777 | 3,482 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,536 | 1,526 | 3,107 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Alpena's economy has long centered on cement manufacturing and the Thunder Bay watershed, drawing a working-class rural electorate that shifted decisively rightward over the past decade and delivered a 28-point Republican margin in 2024.
The Republican margin in Alpena County reached its widest at sixty points in 1924. The margin in 2024 was twenty-nine points, in line with the county's deep historical pattern.
Alpena County's loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $53,950, a 93% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 28,880 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 Clare County and Ogemaw County.
