| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 7,084 | 15,260 | 22,824 | |
| 2020 | R | 7,280 | 14,382 | 22,260 | |
| 2016 | R | 5,640 | 12,872 | 20,058 | |
| 2012 | R | 8,173 | 10,849 | 19,619 | |
| 2008 | R | 8,454 | 10,338 | 19,339 | |
| 2004 | R | 8,059 | 10,043 | 18,384 | |
| 2000 | R | 6,009 | 7,663 | 14,908 | |
| 1996 | D | 6,006 | 4,835 | 13,233 | |
| 1992 | D | 5,156 | 5,053 | 14,371 | |
| 1988 | R | 5,861 | 6,060 | 12,040 | |
| 1984 | R | 4,922 | 6,830 | 11,883 | |
| 1980 | R | 5,272 | 5,513 | 11,782 | |
| 1976 | D | 6,235 | 4,099 | 10,965 | |
| 1972 | R | 4,282 | 4,652 | 9,426 | |
| 1968 | D | 4,022 | 3,470 | 8,016 | |
| 1964 | D | 4,679 | 2,818 | 7,520 | |
| 1960 | D | 4,175 | 3,324 | 7,515 | |
| 1956 | R | 2,609 | 3,591 | 6,216 | |
| 1952 | R | 2,587 | 3,856 | 6,476 | |
| 1948 | D | 3,632 | 2,297 | 6,015 | |
| 1944 | R | 2,258 | 2,988 | 5,264 | |
| 1940 | R | 2,742 | 3,491 | 6,261 | |
| 1936 | D | 3,111 | 1,783 | 5,813 | |
| 1932 | D | 3,901 | 1,329 | 5,350 | |
| 1928 | D | 2,732 | 2,373 | 5,126 | |
| 1924 | R | 572 | 1,629 | 3,888 | |
| 1920 | R | 554 | 2,920 | 3,704 | |
| 1916 | R | 945 | 1,020 | 2,078 | |
| 1912 | D | 562 | 468 | 1,920 | |
| 1908 | R | 765 | 1,001 | 1,850 | |
| 1904 | R | 433 | 1,205 | 1,676 | |
| 1900 | R | 751 | 849 | 1,646 | |
| 1896 | D | 867 | 778 | 1,669 | |
| 1892 | R | 426 | 577 | 1,662 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Benton County has shifted decisively rightward over the past two decades, delivering presidential margins exceeding 30 points in recent cycles. Its population of roughly 34,000 is anchored by small agricultural communities and the city of Foley.
The Democratic margin in Benton County peaked at forty-eight points in 1932. By 2000 the county had flipped, voting Republican for the first time in many years. The 2024 margin was thirty-six points, the most Republican-leaning result in the county's modern history.
The economic context is the key. Benton County's median household income of $74,410 sits well below state and national norms, and 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The shift here is part of a broader realignment of working-class places across the country. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Meeker County and Morrison County.