| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 3,347 | 24,691 | 28,157 | |
| 2020 | R | 3,474 | 23,858 | 27,635 | |
| 2016 | R | 2,780 | 19,606 | 22,780 | |
| 2012 | R | 3,359 | 17,746 | 21,297 | |
| 2008 | R | 3,939 | 16,603 | 20,702 | |
| 2004 | R | 5,608 | 15,030 | 20,710 | |
| 2000 | R | 5,595 | 11,962 | 17,836 | |
| 1996 | R | 7,179 | 8,529 | 17,900 | |
| 1992 | D | 6,753 | 5,885 | 16,793 | |
| 1988 | D | 8,245 | 6,897 | 15,173 | |
| 1984 | R | 6,782 | 8,380 | 15,206 | |
| 1980 | D | 7,358 | 6,087 | 13,732 | |
| 1976 | D | 6,558 | 4,046 | 10,688 | |
| 1972 | R | 2,952 | 5,190 | 8,157 | |
| 1968 | D | 2,894 | 1,986 | 8,862 | |
| 1964 | D | 5,143 | 1,987 | 7,146 | |
| 1960 | D | 4,315 | 2,115 | 6,451 | |
| 1956 | D | 2,371 | 2,130 | 4,520 | |
| 1952 | D | 3,423 | 1,653 | 5,082 | |
| 1948 | D | 2,233 | 196 | 3,043 | |
| 1944 | D | 2,632 | 243 | 3,126 | |
| 1940 | D | 2,997 | 226 | 3,225 | |
| 1936 | D | 2,351 | 119 | 2,470 | |
| 1932 | D | 2,783 | 161 | 2,944 | |
| 1928 | D | 1,032 | 951 | 1,983 | |
| 1924 | D | 1,516 | 645 | 2,278 | |
| 1920 | D | 999 | 202 | 1,376 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,279 | 158 | 1,534 | |
| 1912 | D | 979 | 101 | 1,409 | |
| 1908 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1904 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1896 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1892 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Hardin County, anchored by Kountze and Silsbee in the East Texas timber belt, recorded an R+75.8 presidential margin in 2024—among the widest of any county in the state and consistent with deep-red voting patterns across rural Southeast Texas.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Hardin County peaked at ninety points in 1936; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 1996 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of eight points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Hardin County's median household income of $75,808 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 12% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Clay County and Montague County.