| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 5,939 | 18,697 | 24,839 | |
| 2020 | R | 6,983 | 18,043 | 25,270 | |
| 2016 | R | 6,092 | 15,167 | 21,759 | |
| 2012 | R | 7,231 | 13,314 | 20,773 | |
| 2008 | R | 7,215 | 13,305 | 20,766 | |
| 2004 | R | 6,466 | 12,090 | 18,714 | |
| 2000 | R | 6,138 | 9,900 | 16,323 | |
| 1996 | R | 5,821 | 6,689 | 13,639 | |
| 1992 | R | 5,453 | 6,887 | 14,557 | |
| 1988 | R | 4,322 | 7,763 | 12,151 | |
| 1984 | R | 4,101 | 8,655 | 12,809 | |
| 1980 | D | 6,889 | 5,379 | 12,418 | |
| 1976 | D | 7,765 | 3,931 | 11,732 | |
| 1972 | R | 2,107 | 7,570 | 9,800 | |
| 1968 | R | 1,998 | 2,853 | 10,493 | |
| 1964 | D | 4,258 | 3,627 | 7,885 | |
| 1960 | D | 5,391 | 1,565 | 6,956 | |
| 1956 | D | 3,687 | 907 | 4,902 | |
| 1952 | D | 5,545 | 1,529 | 7,074 | |
| 1948 | D | 605 | 77 | 1,758 | |
| 1944 | D | 1,620 | 68 | 1,721 | |
| 1940 | D | 2,069 | 36 | 2,105 | |
| 1936 | D | 2,280 | 0 | 2,303 | |
| 1932 | D | 2,363 | 0 | 2,402 | |
| 1928 | D | 1,388 | 89 | 1,477 | |
| 1924 | D | 1,186 | 24 | 1,216 | |
| 1920 | D | 1,771 | 48 | 1,819 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,271 | 13 | 1,319 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,259 | 0 | 1,282 | |
| 1908 | D | 1,506 | 66 | 1,572 | |
| 1904 | D | 1,507 | 31 | 1,538 | |
| 1900 | D | 1,084 | 39 | 1,123 | |
| 1896 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1892 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Cherokee County, anchored by Gaffney in South Carolina's Upstate, has delivered Republican presidential candidates margins exceeding 50 points in recent cycles, reflecting the region's predominantly white, rural, working-class electorate.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Cherokee County peaked at ninety-nine points in 1936; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1984 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of thirty-six points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Cherokee County's median household income of $50,288 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 18% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Calhoun County and Clay County.