Elk County tended to be politically competitive in statewide and national elections, but has recently become a solid Republican county like most of rural Pennsylvania. The county was carried by George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. The county was carried by Barack Obama in 2008 and by Mitt Romney in 2012 over Obama's victorious ticket. Like most other rural counties, both in Pennsylvania and nationwide, Donald Trump strongly won the county in 2016 and 2020 -- increasing his margin in the latter.