| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 736 | 2,828 | 3,615 | |
| 2020 | R | 701 | 2,822 | 3,617 | |
| 2016 | R | 550 | 2,531 | 3,296 | |
| 2012 | R | 773 | 2,349 | 3,180 | |
| 2008 | R | 876 | 2,224 | 3,150 | |
| 2004 | R | 707 | 2,621 | 3,379 | |
| 2000 | R | 680 | 2,333 | 3,122 | |
| 1996 | R | 782 | 1,953 | 3,048 | |
| 1992 | R | 645 | 1,756 | 3,269 | |
| 1988 | R | 1,056 | 2,121 | 3,214 | |
| 1984 | R | 726 | 2,508 | 3,262 | |
| 1980 | R | 726 | 2,512 | 3,530 | |
| 1976 | R | 1,219 | 1,830 | 3,124 | |
| 1972 | R | 759 | 2,203 | 2,962 | |
| 1968 | R | 825 | 1,806 | 2,822 | |
| 1964 | D | 1,767 | 1,352 | 3,119 | |
| 1960 | R | 1,263 | 2,065 | 3,328 | |
| 1956 | R | 1,172 | 2,158 | 3,330 | |
| 1952 | R | 930 | 2,422 | 3,352 | |
| 1948 | R | 1,400 | 1,440 | 2,840 | |
| 1944 | R | 1,267 | 1,782 | 3,049 | |
| 1940 | R | 1,561 | 1,792 | 3,353 | |
| 1936 | D | 2,445 | 1,214 | 3,711 | |
| 1932 | D | 2,367 | 1,129 | 3,569 | |
| 1928 | R | 1,093 | 2,426 | 3,553 | |
| 1924 | R | 1,243 | 1,453 | 3,226 | |
| 1920 | R | 1,273 | 1,683 | 3,043 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,396 | 760 | 2,222 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,012 | 336 | 2,080 | |
| 1908 | D | 1,174 | 993 | 2,316 | |
| 1904 | R | 396 | 1,235 | 2,130 | |
| 1900 | D | 1,109 | 1,055 | 2,235 | |
| 1896 | D | 1,160 | 955 | 2,164 | |
| 1892 | D | 819 | 125 | 1,971 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
With fewer than 7,000 residents spread across the Republican River watershed, Kearney County has delivered double-digit GOP margins in every recent presidential cycle, hitting R+58 in 2024 — among the widest gaps in the state.
The Republican margin in Kearney County reached its widest at sixty points in 2016. The margin in 2024 was fifty-eight points, in line with the county's deep historical pattern.
Kearney County's loyalty is rooted in its place. Median household income of $78,631, a 92% non-Hispanic-white share, and a population of 6,713 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 Garden County and Arthur County.
