Clay, Missouri — Presidential Election Results
Clay, Missouri has voted Republican in 6 of the last 7 presidential elections on record (2000–2024). It most recently flipped to Republican in 2004. In 2024, it was 12.9 pts more Dem. than Missouri 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. Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Al Gore | Democratic | 39,084 | 48.7% | 0.0 pts (1 votes) | 80,173 | — | 3.4 pts more Dem. |
| 2004 | George W. Bush | Republican | 51,193 | 53.1% | 6.8 pts (6,523 votes) | 96,460 | -6.8 pts | 0.4 pts more Dem. |
| 2008 | John McCain | Republican | 54,516 | 49.7% | 0.7 pts (755 votes) | 109,606 | +6.1 pts | 0.6 pts more Rep. |
| 2012 | Mitt Romney | Republican | 56,191 | 53.2% | 8.4 pts (8,881 votes) | 105,589 | -7.9 pts | 1.0 pts more Dem. |
| 2016 | Donald Trump | Republican | 57,476 | 52.2% | 11.0 pts (12,172 votes) | 110,176 | -3.3 pts | 7.8 pts more Dem. |
| 2020 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 64,605 | 51.0% | 4.1 pts (5,205 votes) | 126,569 | +7.6 pts | 11.5 pts more Dem. |
| 2024 | Donald J Trump | Republican | 67,688 | 52.0% | 5.6 pts (7,343 votes) | 130,160 | -1.5 pts | 12.9 pts more Dem. |
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 | 184,703 | 43.4% of population |
| 2004 | 196,718 | 49.0% of population |
| 2008 | 215,142 | 50.9% of population |
| 2012 | 227,579 | 46.4% of population |
| 2016 | 238,583 | 46.2% of population |
| 2020 | 254,145 | 49.8% of population |
| 2024 | 263,370 | 49.4% of population |
Trend
Between 2000 and 2024, the two-party presidential margin in Clay shifted 5.7 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.
Bellwether Status
Clay has matched the national popular winner in 3 of the last 7 presidential elections (43%), and Missouri's own statewide winner in 6 of 7 (86%). Compare every county on the bellwether counties page.
Related Pages
Other Missouri Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How has Clay voted in presidential elections since 2000?
Since 2000, Clay has voted Democratic in 1 of 7 recorded presidential elections and Republican in 6 of 7, based on county-level returns through 2024.
What was the closest presidential election in Clay?
Clay's closest recorded margin was in 2000, when Al Gore (Democratic) won by 0.0 points (1 votes) out of 80,173 total votes cast.
Has Clay ever flipped between parties?
Yes. Clay changed which party won the county in: 2004, based on the 2000-2024 record on this page.
What is the largest presidential election margin recorded in Clay?
The widest margin on record for Clay was in 2016, when Donald Trump (Republican) won by 11.8 points.
How many votes were cast in Clay relative to its population?
In 2024, 130,160 votes were recorded in Clay against a total population of 263,370 (49.4% 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 Clay a presidential bellwether county?
Clay has matched the national popular winner in 3 of the last 7 presidential elections (43%), and Missouri's own statewide winner in 6 of 7 (86%).