| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 906 | 3,642 | 4,607 | |
| 2020 | R | 873 | 3,542 | 4,518 | |
| 2016 | R | 691 | 3,079 | 3,981 | |
| 2012 | R | 1,045 | 2,738 | 3,859 | |
| 2008 | R | 1,190 | 2,557 | 3,839 | |
| 2004 | R | 1,068 | 3,016 | 4,168 | |
| 2000 | R | 1,028 | 2,638 | 3,828 | |
| 1996 | R | 1,099 | 2,042 | 3,696 | |
| 1992 | R | 1,089 | 1,884 | 4,154 | |
| 1988 | R | 1,715 | 2,086 | 3,819 | |
| 1984 | R | 1,193 | 2,557 | 3,785 | |
| 1980 | R | 1,112 | 2,596 | 3,929 | |
| 1976 | D | 2,337 | 1,809 | 4,271 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,812 | 2,301 | 4,113 | |
| 1968 | R | 1,544 | 1,646 | 3,514 | |
| 1964 | D | 2,993 | 1,642 | 4,635 | |
| 1960 | D | 2,742 | 2,253 | 4,995 | |
| 1956 | R | 2,244 | 2,864 | 5,108 | |
| 1952 | R | 1,954 | 3,459 | 5,413 | |
| 1948 | D | 2,605 | 2,105 | 4,710 | |
| 1944 | D | 2,922 | 2,493 | 5,415 | |
| 1940 | D | 3,246 | 2,966 | 6,212 | |
| 1936 | D | 4,360 | 2,442 | 6,926 | |
| 1932 | D | 4,456 | 1,712 | 6,203 | |
| 1928 | D | 3,465 | 2,930 | 6,418 | |
| 1924 | D | 2,444 | 2,435 | 5,434 | |
| 1920 | R | 1,918 | 2,478 | 4,486 | |
| 1916 | D | 2,332 | 1,120 | 3,511 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,756 | 823 | 3,239 | |
| 1908 | D | 2,129 | 1,412 | 3,599 | |
| 1904 | R | 1,278 | 1,723 | 3,391 | |
| 1900 | D | 2,147 | 1,481 | 3,706 | |
| 1896 | D | 2,261 | 1,285 | 3,606 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,099 | 441 | 3,027 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Butler County, anchored by the small city of David City, has voted Republican in presidential races by wide margins for decades. Its largely agricultural economy and sparse population of under 9,000 make it a reliable bellwether for rural Nebraska's political lean.
The Republican margin in Butler County reached its widest at sixty points in 2016. The margin in 2024 was fifty-nine points, in line with the county's deep historical pattern.
Butler County's loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $79,268, a 91% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 8,424 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 Saunders County and Cedar County.