| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 1,486 | 6,146 | 7,676 | |
| 2020 | R | 1,791 | 6,458 | 8,327 | |
| 2016 | R | 1,617 | 5,928 | 7,627 | |
| 2012 | R | 1,979 | 6,049 | 8,099 | |
| 2008 | R | 1,968 | 6,265 | 8,305 | |
| 2004 | R | 1,496 | 5,577 | 7,120 | |
| 2000 | R | 1,620 | 4,838 | 6,528 | |
| 1996 | R | 1,858 | 3,371 | 5,765 | |
| 1992 | R | 1,968 | 4,106 | 6,788 | |
| 1988 | R | 1,660 | 4,573 | 6,285 | |
| 1984 | R | 1,573 | 5,116 | 6,710 | |
| 1980 | R | 2,474 | 3,772 | 6,340 | |
| 1976 | R | 2,434 | 3,147 | 5,748 | |
| 1972 | R | 329 | 4,419 | 4,785 | |
| 1968 | R | 352 | 437 | 5,156 | |
| 1964 | R | 238 | 4,045 | 4,283 | |
| 1960 | D | 1,568 | 353 | 2,946 | |
| 1956 | D | 2,055 | 277 | 2,543 | |
| 1952 | D | 2,288 | 738 | 3,026 | |
| 1948 | D | 295 | 33 | 2,229 | |
| 1944 | D | 2,456 | 165 | 2,621 | |
| 1940 | D | 1,826 | 27 | 1,854 | |
| 1936 | D | 1,676 | 17 | 1,694 | |
| 1932 | D | 1,576 | 17 | 1,595 | |
| 1928 | D | 1,450 | 419 | 1,869 | |
| 1924 | D | 1,081 | 49 | 1,161 | |
| 1920 | D | 968 | 265 | 1,256 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,271 | 30 | 1,317 | |
| 1912 | D | 854 | 12 | 917 | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | D | 542 | 73 | 616 | |
| 1896 | D | 1,077 | 1 | 1,085 | |
| 1892 | D | 547 | 12 | 689 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Smith County's small, rural population has delivered lopsided Republican margins for over a decade, with the 2024 presidential result landing at R+60.7 — among the widest gaps recorded in the state.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Smith County peaked at ninety-nine points in 1896; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1964 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of eighty-nine points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Smith County's median household income of $60,916 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 17% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Neshoba County and Hooker County.
