| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 6,374 | 14,394 | 21,199 | |
| 2020 | R | 6,413 | 13,986 | 20,933 | |
| 2016 | R | 4,978 | 12,155 | 18,807 | |
| 2012 | R | 6,968 | 11,069 | 18,553 | |
| 2008 | R | 7,505 | 10,993 | 19,029 | |
| 2004 | R | 6,712 | 11,407 | 18,412 | |
| 2000 | R | 5,609 | 8,782 | 15,394 | |
| 1996 | D | 6,027 | 5,474 | 14,063 | |
| 1992 | R | 4,919 | 5,422 | 15,347 | |
| 1988 | R | 5,736 | 7,967 | 13,862 | |
| 1984 | R | 4,864 | 8,728 | 13,727 | |
| 1980 | R | 4,987 | 7,819 | 14,035 | |
| 1976 | R | 6,249 | 6,519 | 13,238 | |
| 1972 | R | 4,538 | 7,820 | 12,733 | |
| 1968 | R | 4,861 | 6,619 | 12,064 | |
| 1964 | D | 5,755 | 5,545 | 11,316 | |
| 1960 | R | 4,276 | 7,214 | 11,511 | |
| 1956 | R | 3,068 | 6,743 | 9,828 | |
| 1952 | R | 2,781 | 7,246 | 10,048 | |
| 1948 | R | 3,987 | 4,623 | 8,716 | |
| 1944 | R | 2,557 | 5,756 | 8,361 | |
| 1940 | R | 2,884 | 6,474 | 9,420 | |
| 1936 | D | 4,449 | 2,941 | 8,058 | |
| 1932 | D | 5,187 | 2,293 | 7,608 | |
| 1928 | R | 3,445 | 4,252 | 7,757 | |
| 1924 | R | 563 | 2,841 | 6,329 | |
| 1920 | R | 1,139 | 5,430 | 6,996 | |
| 1916 | R | 1,305 | 1,772 | 3,209 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,225 | 655 | 2,876 | |
| 1908 | R | 1,506 | 1,579 | 3,197 | |
| 1904 | R | 793 | 1,478 | 2,380 | |
| 1900 | R | 1,540 | 1,691 | 3,381 | |
| 1896 | D | 1,653 | 1,595 | 3,342 | |
| 1892 | R | 902 | 1,523 | 2,794 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
McLeod County, anchored by Hutchinson, has shifted steadily rightward over the past two decades; its 2024 presidential margin of R+37.8 reflects a pattern of lopsided results common to agriculturally dominant, small-city counties in the region.
The Republican margin in McLeod County reached its widest at sixty-one points in 1920. The margin in 2024 was thirty-eight points, in line with the county's deep historical pattern.
McLeod County's loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $80,084, a 90% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 36,798 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 Schoharie County and Hardy County.
