| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 6,772 | 22,455 | 29,518 | |
| 2020 | R | 6,617 | 21,679 | 28,685 | |
| 2016 | R | 5,553 | 19,320 | 25,846 | |
| 2012 | R | 7,076 | 18,141 | 25,632 | |
| 2008 | R | 8,063 | 16,077 | 24,500 | |
| 2004 | R | 7,339 | 14,749 | 22,514 | |
| 2000 | R | 7,549 | 12,064 | 20,222 | |
| 1996 | R | 6,939 | 9,098 | 18,169 | |
| 1992 | R | 7,269 | 9,150 | 18,995 | |
| 1988 | R | 5,819 | 10,722 | 16,899 | |
| 1984 | R | 5,573 | 12,132 | 17,826 | |
| 1980 | R | 6,390 | 8,402 | 15,597 | |
| 1976 | R | 6,547 | 6,865 | 14,015 | |
| 1972 | R | 3,181 | 7,233 | 10,667 | |
| 1968 | R | 3,243 | 6,665 | 13,029 | |
| 1964 | D | 6,081 | 3,231 | 9,417 | |
| 1960 | R | 3,833 | 4,473 | 8,347 | |
| 1956 | R | 3,547 | 4,651 | 8,250 | |
| 1952 | R | 2,778 | 3,810 | 6,599 | |
| 1948 | R | 2,510 | 2,972 | 5,693 | |
| 1944 | D | 2,849 | 2,792 | 5,664 | |
| 1940 | D | 3,245 | 2,697 | 5,976 | |
| 1936 | D | 2,595 | 2,047 | 4,654 | |
| 1932 | D | 2,784 | 1,774 | 4,627 | |
| 1928 | R | 2,666 | 3,449 | 6,115 | |
| 1924 | D | 3,083 | 2,848 | 6,021 | |
| 1920 | R | 2,251 | 2,672 | 4,935 | |
| 1916 | D | 1,863 | 1,717 | 3,589 | |
| 1912 | D | 1,721 | 590 | 3,315 | |
| 1908 | R | 1,558 | 1,741 | 3,321 | |
| 1904 | R | 1,344 | 1,872 | 3,229 | |
| 1900 | R | 2,291 | 2,498 | 4,799 | |
| 1896 | R | 2,374 | 2,669 | 5,079 | |
| 1892 | D | 2,783 | 1,774 | 4,764 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Washington County sits in Virginia's far southwest, where rugged terrain and a rural economy have anchored Republican margins above 50 points in recent presidential cycles. Its small cities and coal-era heritage shape a distinctly different electorate from the state's populous northeast corridor.
The Democratic margin in Washington County peaked at thirty-four points in 1912. By 1968 the county had flipped, voting Republican for the first time in many years. The 2024 margin was fifty-three points, the most Republican-leaning result in the county's modern history.
The economic context is the key. Washington County's median household income of $64,552 sits well below state and national norms, and 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The shift here is part of a broader realignment of working-class places across the country. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Miller County and Jefferson County.