| Year | Won | Margin | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 1,919 | 7,960 | 10,037 | |
| 2020 | R | 2,226 | 8,279 | 10,633 | |
| 2016 | R | 1,840 | 7,251 | 9,579 | |
| 2012 | R | 2,664 | 5,898 | 8,791 | |
| 2008 | R | 4,357 | 4,804 | 9,361 | |
| 2004 | R | 4,788 | 5,485 | 10,351 | |
| 2000 | R | 4,059 | 4,359 | 8,579 | |
| 1996 | D | 4,769 | 2,649 | 8,536 | |
| 1992 | D | 5,042 | 2,959 | 9,531 | |
| 1988 | D | 5,173 | 3,731 | 8,936 | |
| 1984 | R | 4,588 | 4,656 | 9,273 | |
| 1980 | D | 5,265 | 3,885 | 9,516 | |
| 1976 | D | 6,235 | 3,462 | 9,697 | |
| 1972 | R | 3,628 | 5,907 | 9,535 | |
| 1968 | D | 4,858 | 3,678 | 9,377 | |
| 1964 | D | 6,878 | 2,628 | 9,506 | |
| 1960 | D | 5,774 | 4,297 | 10,071 | |
| 1956 | R | 4,880 | 5,263 | 10,143 | |
| 1952 | D | 5,615 | 4,386 | 10,001 | |
| 1948 | D | 5,018 | 3,391 | 8,432 | |
| 1944 | D | 4,305 | 3,259 | 7,564 | |
| 1940 | D | 5,312 | 4,299 | 9,611 | |
| 1936 | D | 5,872 | 3,964 | 9,906 | |
| 1932 | D | 5,327 | 3,684 | 9,097 | |
| 1928 | R | 3,495 | 3,917 | 7,481 | |
| 1924 | D | 3,956 | 3,347 | 7,434 | |
| 1920 | R | 3,564 | 3,691 | 7,305 | |
| 1916 | D | 2,467 | 2,056 | 4,592 | |
| 1912 | D | 2,018 | 584 | 4,056 | |
| 1908 | R | 1,730 | 1,795 | 3,664 | |
| 1904 | R | 1,398 | 1,416 | 3,000 | |
| 1900 | R | 1,051 | 1,254 | 2,367 | |
| 1896 | D | 1,226 | 908 | 2,201 | |
| 1892 | D | 1,063 | 728 | 1,920 | |
| 1888 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1884 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — | |
| 1876 | — | — | — | — |
Nicholas County, anchored by the small city of Summersville, sits in the Appalachian coalfields and has moved from a competitive swing county in the early 2000s to recording some of West Virginia's widest Republican presidential margins by 2024.
The unraveling was not abrupt. The Democratic margin in Nicholas County peaked at forty-five 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 three points. By 2024, the margin had widened further.
The economic and demographic context is severe. Nicholas County's median household income of $54,639 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 Clay County and Summers County.