| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 2,927 | 8,602 | 11,699 | |
| 2020 | R | 3,109 | 8,345 | 11,675 | |
| 2016 | R | 3,090 | 7,104 | 10,945 | |
| 2012 | R | 4,275 | 5,815 | 10,367 | |
| 2008 | R | 5,241 | 5,593 | 11,053 | |
| 2004 | R | 5,034 | 5,673 | 10,788 | |
| 2000 | D | 4,970 | 4,517 | 9,747 | |
| 1996 | D | 4,714 | 2,884 | 8,787 | |
| 1992 | D | 4,457 | 2,563 | 9,620 | |
| 1988 | D | 4,879 | 3,763 | 8,662 | |
| 1984 | R | 3,979 | 4,875 | 8,854 | |
| 1980 | D | 4,518 | 4,064 | 8,871 | |
| 1976 | D | 5,535 | 2,853 | 8,461 | |
| 1972 | R | 2,844 | 4,205 | 7,049 | |
| 1968 | D | 3,541 | 2,587 | 7,206 | |
| 1964 | D | 5,189 | 1,734 | 6,923 | |
| 1960 | D | 4,565 | 3,542 | 8,107 | |
| 1956 | D | 4,636 | 3,041 | 7,677 | |
| 1952 | D | 4,869 | 3,349 | 8,240 | |
| 1948 | D | 4,826 | 2,102 | 6,937 | |
| 1944 | D | 4,521 | 3,094 | 7,627 | |
| 1940 | D | 5,786 | 3,399 | 9,201 | |
| 1936 | D | 6,300 | 2,805 | 9,124 | |
| 1932 | D | 6,088 | 1,706 | 7,846 | |
| 1928 | D | 4,570 | 3,280 | 7,866 | |
| 1924 | D | 4,989 | 2,753 | 8,041 | |
| 1920 | D | 4,865 | 3,228 | 8,165 | |
| 1916 | D | 3,380 | 1,718 | 5,163 | |
| 1912 | D | 3,042 | 1,192 | 4,930 | |
| 1908 | D | 3,043 | 1,914 | 5,072 | |
| 1904 | D | 2,744 | 1,792 | 4,611 | |
| 1900 | D | 3,631 | 2,004 | 5,722 | |
| 1896 | D | 3,945 | 2,003 | 6,014 | |
| 1892 | D | 3,250 | 1,643 | 5,089 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Ray County sits along the Missouri River northeast of Kansas City, where a shrinking but stable agricultural economy anchors a population that has shifted toward lopsided Republican margins over the past decade of presidential contests.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Ray County peaked at fifty-six points in 1932; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 2004 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 widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Ray County's median household income of $74,573 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 13% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Harrison County and Perry County.