Mercer, Kentucky — Presidential Election Results

Mercer, Kentucky has voted Republican in 7 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024). In 2024, it was 20.3 pts more Rep. than Kentucky overall.

Jump to year: 2000 · 2004 · 2008 · 2012 · 2016 · 2020 · 2024

Full Election History, 2000–2024

Year Winner Party Votes Vote Share Margin Total Votes Cast Swing Vs. Kentucky
2000 George W. Bush Republican 5,362 62.1% 26.3 pts (2,270 votes) 8,632 — 11.4 pts more Rep.
2004 George W. Bush Republican 6,745 67.3% 35.1 pts (3,521 votes) 10,028 -8.5 pts 15.3 pts more Rep.
2008 John McCain Republican 6,781 67.4% 36.0 pts (3,622 votes) 10,060 -1.1 pts 20.0 pts more Rep.
2012 Mitt Romney Republican 6,820 68.6% 38.8 pts (3,854 votes) 9,939 -2.9 pts 16.3 pts more Rep.
2016 Donald Trump Republican 7,740 73.1% 50.5 pts (5,345 votes) 10,585 -13.4 pts 21.4 pts more Rep.
2020 Donald J Trump Republican 8,506 72.5% 46.6 pts (5,473 votes) 11,735 +5.3 pts 21.0 pts more Rep.
2024 Donald J Trump Republican 8,826 74.5% 50.5 pts (5,988 votes) 11,851 -3.9 pts 20.3 pts more Rep.

Population Context

Total Census Bureau population estimate for the county that year, and recorded votes as a share of that total population. This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.

Year County Population Votes Cast (% of Population)
2000 20,794 41.5% of population
2004 21,118 47.5% of population
2008 21,273 47.3% of population
2012 21,323 46.6% of population
2016 21,405 49.5% of population
2020 22,652 51.8% of population
2024 23,515 50.4% of population

Trend

Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Mercer shifted 24.5 points toward the Republican candidate, based on recorded county returns. This reflects the vote totals in this dataset only; no claim is made here about the causes of that shift.

Margin Over Time

Democratic candidate's margin (percentage points, two-party vote share). Positive values favor the Democratic candidate; negative values favor the Republican candidate.

2000: R+26.9 pts 2004: R+35.3 pts 2008: R+36.4 pts 2012: R+39.4 pts 2016: R+52.7 pts 2020: R+47.4 pts 2024: R+51.3 pts 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024

Bellwether Status

Mercer has matched the national popular winner in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections (57%), and Kentucky's own statewide winner in 7 of 7 (100%). Compare every county on the bellwether counties page.

Related Pages

Other Kentucky Counties

Frequently Asked Questions

How has Mercer voted in presidential elections since 2000?

Since 2000, Mercer has voted Democratic in 0 of 7 recorded presidential elections and Republican in 7 of 7, based on county-level returns through 2024.

What was the closest presidential election in Mercer?

Mercer's closest recorded margin was in 2000, when George W. Bush (Republican) won by 26.9 points (2,270 votes) out of 8,632 total votes cast.

Has Mercer ever flipped between parties?

Not in the 2000-2024 record on this page -- Mercer has voted for the same party in every recorded presidential election in that span.

What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Mercer?

The widest margin on record for Mercer was in 2016, when Donald Trump (Republican) won by 52.7 points.

How many votes were cast in Mercer relative to its population?

In 2024, 11,851 votes were recorded in Mercer against a total population of 23,515 (50.4% of the total population). This is a population-based figure, not a turnout rate against eligible or registered voters, which this site does not calculate.

Is Mercer a presidential bellwether county?

Mercer has matched the national popular winner in 4 of the last 7 presidential elections (57%), and Kentucky's own statewide winner in 7 of 7 (100%).