| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 2,950 | 558 | 3,541 | |
| 2020 | D | 3,772 | 603 | 4,449 | |
| 2016 | D | 3,708 | 540 | 4,272 | |
| 2012 | D | 4,838 | 625 | 5,484 | |
| 2008 | D | 4,682 | 748 | 5,453 | |
| 2004 | D | 4,362 | 950 | 5,355 | |
| 2000 | D | 3,670 | 883 | 4,615 | |
| 1996 | D | 3,739 | 784 | 4,647 | |
| 1992 | D | 3,302 | 935 | 4,412 | |
| 1988 | D | 3,083 | 1,233 | 4,349 | |
| 1984 | D | 3,179 | 1,294 | 4,484 | |
| 1980 | D | 3,032 | 1,129 | 4,228 | |
| 1976 | D | 2,657 | 1,078 | 3,852 | |
| 1972 | D | 2,076 | 1,521 | 3,642 | |
| 1968 | D | 2,129 | 230 | 3,502 | |
| 1964 | R | 84 | 1,226 | 1,310 | |
| 1960 | D | 205 | 180 | 1,036 | |
| 1956 | D | 339 | 191 | 822 | |
| 1952 | R | 496 | 560 | 1,056 | |
| 1948 | D | 19 | 14 | 775 | |
| 1944 | D | 710 | 45 | 755 | |
| 1940 | D | 737 | 32 | 779 | |
| 1936 | D | 774 | 31 | 806 | |
| 1932 | D | 713 | 16 | 730 | |
| 1928 | D | 708 | 43 | 751 | |
| 1924 | D | 605 | 14 | 619 | |
| 1920 | D | 401 | 14 | 416 | |
| 1916 | D | 435 | 5 | 441 | |
| 1912 | D | 399 | 3 | 404 | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | D | 373 | 18 | 395 | |
| 1896 | D | 514 | 15 | 572 | |
| 1892 | D | 425 | 7 | 485 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Claiborne County's electorate is roughly 84% Black, making it one of the most racially homogeneous counties in the state and anchoring its consistent D+60s presidential margins across recent election cycles.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Claiborne County peaked at ninety-eight points in 1912; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1968 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of fifty-four points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Claiborne County's median household income of $31,897 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 31% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Perry County and Baltimore city.