| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 5,312 | 2,515 | 7,876 | |
| 2020 | D | 6,781 | 2,799 | 9,681 | |
| 2016 | D | 6,725 | 2,794 | 9,598 | |
| 2012 | D | 8,199 | 2,929 | 11,228 | |
| 2008 | D | 7,838 | 3,245 | 11,193 | |
| 2004 | D | 6,359 | 3,534 | 10,015 | |
| 2000 | D | 4,981 | 3,369 | 8,415 | |
| 1996 | D | 4,960 | 2,926 | 8,225 | |
| 1992 | D | 5,050 | 3,726 | 9,391 | |
| 1988 | D | 4,898 | 4,362 | 9,289 | |
| 1984 | R | 4,913 | 5,178 | 10,111 | |
| 1980 | D | 5,035 | 3,728 | 8,927 | |
| 1976 | D | 4,322 | 3,456 | 8,024 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,874 | 5,389 | 7,355 | |
| 1968 | D | 2,602 | 1,036 | 7,570 | |
| 1964 | R | 251 | 4,127 | 4,378 | |
| 1960 | R | 1,033 | 1,177 | 3,451 | |
| 1956 | D | 1,585 | 520 | 3,120 | |
| 1952 | D | 2,049 | 2,007 | 4,056 | |
| 1948 | D | 136 | 55 | 2,673 | |
| 1944 | D | 2,799 | 155 | 2,954 | |
| 1940 | D | 3,071 | 71 | 3,142 | |
| 1936 | D | 2,508 | 21 | 2,529 | |
| 1932 | D | 2,411 | 34 | 2,450 | |
| 1928 | D | 2,676 | 88 | 2,764 | |
| 1924 | D | 1,694 | 76 | 1,770 | |
| 1920 | D | 1,060 | 47 | 1,116 | |
| 1916 | D | 879 | 20 | 901 | |
| 1912 | D | 462 | 9 | 500 | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | D | 337 | 8 | 347 | |
| 1896 | D | 459 | 24 | 491 | |
| 1892 | D | 213 | 3 | 219 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Sunflower County sits in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, where a population that is roughly 72% Black has produced consistent double-digit Democratic margins for decades, reflecting both the region's demographics and its deep-rooted civil rights history.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Sunflower County peaked at ninety-eight points in 1936; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1988 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of six points. By 2024, the margin had settled into deep Republican territory.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Sunflower County's median household income of $39,956 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 29% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Coahoma County and Humphreys County.