| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 3,360 | 9,462 | 13,030 | |
| 2020 | R | 3,790 | 9,806 | 13,802 | |
| 2016 | R | 3,262 | 8,909 | 12,802 | |
| 2012 | R | 4,627 | 7,226 | 12,150 | |
| 2008 | R | 5,504 | 7,518 | 13,220 | |
| 2004 | R | 6,906 | 7,298 | 14,321 | |
| 2000 | R | 6,249 | 6,458 | 13,472 | |
| 1996 | D | 7,521 | 4,268 | 14,020 | |
| 1992 | D | 7,830 | 3,897 | 15,038 | |
| 1988 | D | 8,338 | 5,882 | 14,280 | |
| 1984 | D | 8,708 | 7,326 | 16,124 | |
| 1980 | D | 8,784 | 6,610 | 16,475 | |
| 1976 | D | 10,627 | 6,771 | 17,398 | |
| 1972 | R | 6,727 | 10,634 | 17,361 | |
| 1968 | D | 10,174 | 6,181 | 18,831 | |
| 1964 | D | 14,001 | 5,009 | 19,010 | |
| 1960 | D | 11,176 | 8,031 | 19,207 | |
| 1956 | D | 9,524 | 8,750 | 18,274 | |
| 1952 | D | 9,772 | 6,520 | 16,292 | |
| 1948 | D | 8,242 | 4,561 | 12,973 | |
| 1944 | D | 7,334 | 4,285 | 11,619 | |
| 1940 | D | 8,515 | 4,997 | 13,512 | |
| 1936 | D | 7,756 | 3,957 | 11,771 | |
| 1932 | D | 4,603 | 4,328 | 9,220 | |
| 1928 | R | 1,884 | 5,461 | 7,374 | |
| 1924 | R | 1,187 | 3,775 | 5,311 | |
| 1920 | R | 1,435 | 2,768 | 4,364 | |
| 1916 | R | 891 | 1,434 | 2,442 | |
| 1912 | R | 634 | 664 | 1,980 | |
| 1908 | R | 719 | 1,185 | 1,984 | |
| 1904 | R | 508 | 1,010 | 1,595 | |
| 1900 | D | 863 | 564 | 1,478 | |
| 1896 | R | 584 | 843 | 1,465 | |
| 1892 | R | 593 | 693 | 1,430 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Hancock County sits in a narrow panhandle where West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania converge, and its electorate has shifted decisively toward Republican margins over the past decade, reflecting broader deindustrialization trends across the tri-state region.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Hancock County peaked at forty-seven points in 1964; it narrowed steadily over the late twentieth century. The 2000 election delivered the county to the Republican party for the first time in many years, by a margin of two points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Hancock County's median household income of $61,466 is among the lowest of any county in the United States; 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The county's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Lyon County and Summers County.