| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 105 | 1,004 | 1,125 | |
| 2020 | R | 105 | 1,026 | 1,137 | |
| 2016 | R | 77 | 936 | 1,044 | |
| 2012 | R | 138 | 940 | 1,092 | |
| 2008 | R | 187 | 939 | 1,153 | |
| 2004 | R | 219 | 1,007 | 1,240 | |
| 2000 | D | 938 | 164 | 1,129 | |
| 1996 | R | 284 | 887 | 1,289 | |
| 1992 | R | 209 | 860 | 1,318 | |
| 1988 | R | 379 | 958 | 1,351 | |
| 1984 | R | 237 | 1,168 | 1,410 | |
| 1980 | R | 255 | 1,162 | 1,465 | |
| 1976 | R | 477 | 812 | 1,312 | |
| 1972 | R | 366 | 1,021 | 1,396 | |
| 1968 | R | 377 | 759 | 1,245 | |
| 1964 | R | 662 | 795 | 1,457 | |
| 1960 | R | 595 | 980 | 1,575 | |
| 1956 | R | 594 | 936 | 1,530 | |
| 1952 | R | 396 | 1,176 | 1,572 | |
| 1948 | R | 519 | 753 | 1,300 | |
| 1944 | R | 381 | 638 | 1,019 | |
| 1940 | R | 707 | 1,129 | 1,836 | |
| 1936 | D | 948 | 933 | 1,956 | |
| 1932 | D | 1,245 | 797 | 2,234 | |
| 1928 | R | 663 | 1,255 | 1,951 | |
| 1924 | R | 319 | 797 | 1,598 | |
| 1920 | R | 393 | 713 | 1,436 | |
| 1916 | R | 399 | 475 | 972 | |
| 1912 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1896 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1892 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
This sparsely populated ranching county on the South Dakota plains recorded an R+81 presidential margin in 2020, making it among the most one-sided counties in the country. Its 2,196 residents are spread across nearly 1,800 square miles.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Haakon County peaked at sixty-nine points in 2000; 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 sixty-four points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Haakon County's median household income of $65,625 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 8% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Jones County and Harding County.