The Oconee County Republican Party was born around 1988 though Republican presidential candidates were successful in winning over county voters many years before that. Barry Goldwater won the county overwhelmingly in 1964 while Richard Nixon accomplished a similar feat in 1972. A Democratic presidential candidate has not won Oconee County since 1980 when Georgia native Jimmy Carter carried the county narrowly over Ronald Reagan.

The election of 1988 marked the first time when several people signed up to run for countywide office as Republicans. Local Republicans qualified a candidate for probate judge (Lorraine Moss), coroner (Karen Johnson) and two candidates for school board (James Hunter and Wayne Gardner). In 1992 five Republicans were elected to office: Scott Berry as sheriff, John Simpson as coroner and Kenneth Bridges, Chuck Horton and James Hunter to the school board. By 1996 Republicans had gained a majority on the county commission when Albert Hale and Don Norris were re-elected as Republicans after previously serving as Democrats. Republican Hoyt Watson was elected to an open seat. Republicans also gained control of all seats on the school board after the 1996 elections. Chuck Horton was elected chairman. John Glisson, Bill Stroud, Eddie Mills and Tony Dukes were members of the board. Dukes defeated a Democrat incumbent to win his seat.

After the election of 2000 the GOP held all partisan countywide offices with the exception of tax commissioner. In 2004 Tax Commissioner Harriette Browning changed parties and Republicans held all partisan local offices for the first time in history. That year the Democratic Party did not qualify any candidates for county offices. During the 2008 elections, one Democrat qualified for a school board post but was defeated by an overwhelming margin.

County party chairs have included Samuel Adkins, Shelley Huff, Jerry Studdard, Sarah Bell, Jim Luke, Mark Duclos, Larry Davison and James Griffith. Jay Hanley is the current party chair and at the time of his election in March 2009 was one of the youngest party chairs in the state.