| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 470 | 2,150 | 2,654 | |
| 2020 | R | 495 | 2,161 | 2,696 | |
| 2016 | R | 462 | 2,069 | 2,630 | |
| 2012 | R | 737 | 1,905 | 2,691 | |
| 2008 | R | 914 | 1,859 | 2,839 | |
| 2004 | R | 972 | 2,230 | 3,245 | |
| 2000 | D | 1,909 | 799 | 2,765 | |
| 1996 | R | 1,088 | 1,680 | 3,132 | |
| 1992 | R | 1,046 | 1,459 | 3,363 | |
| 1988 | R | 1,219 | 2,113 | 3,356 | |
| 1984 | R | 935 | 2,483 | 3,440 | |
| 1980 | R | 947 | 2,669 | 3,776 | |
| 1976 | R | 1,822 | 1,980 | 3,817 | |
| 1972 | R | 1,538 | 2,592 | 4,132 | |
| 1968 | R | 1,362 | 2,242 | 3,849 | |
| 1964 | D | 2,241 | 1,937 | 4,178 | |
| 1960 | R | 1,748 | 2,466 | 4,214 | |
| 1956 | R | 1,835 | 2,064 | 3,899 | |
| 1952 | R | 1,445 | 2,790 | 4,235 | |
| 1948 | D | 1,918 | 1,845 | 3,818 | |
| 1944 | R | 1,640 | 1,911 | 3,551 | |
| 1940 | R | 2,089 | 2,492 | 4,581 | |
| 1936 | D | 2,708 | 1,693 | 4,485 | |
| 1932 | D | 3,647 | 1,147 | 4,846 | |
| 1928 | R | 2,099 | 2,396 | 4,519 | |
| 1924 | R | 932 | 1,647 | 3,880 | |
| 1920 | R | 968 | 1,819 | 3,066 | |
| 1916 | R | 1,074 | 1,341 | 2,465 | |
| 1912 | D | 982 | 0 | 2,249 | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1896 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1892 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Tripp County's ranching economy and sparse population — under 6,500 residents spread across 2,600 square miles — anchor a voting pattern that has trended Republican by 60-plus points in recent presidential cycles.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Tripp County peaked at fifty-two 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 thirty-nine points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Tripp County's median household income of $58,987 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 Graham County and Surry County.