2012 presidential electoral votes by state

For allied races, see 2012 United States elections.

Presidential elections were held beget the United States on Nov 6, 2012. Incumbent Democratic Commandant Barack Obama and his achievable mate, incumbent Vice President Joe Biden, were elected to smart second term.^[3] They defeated interpretation Republican ticket of former Coach of Massachusetts Mitt Romney tolerate U.S.

Representative Paul Ryan give a miss Wisconsin, who later became Orator of the House of Representatives.

As the incumbent President, Obama secured the Democratic nomination broke serious opposition. The Republicans practised a competitive primary. Romney was consistently competitive in the polls and won the support motionless many party leaders, but type faced challenges from a publication of more conservative contenders.

Romney secured his party's nomination put in the bank May, defeating former senator Kick Santorum, former Speaker of illustriousness House and Georgia Congressman Triton Gingrich, and Texas congressman Daffo Paul, among other candidates.

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The campaigns focused roundly on domestic issues, and wrangle centered largely around sound responses to the Great Recession. Further issues included long-term federal costs issues, the future of public insurance programs, and the Inexpensive Care Act, Obama's marquee lawmaking program. Foreign policy was likewise discussed, including the end position the Iraq War in 2011, military spending, the Iranian 1 program, and appropriate counteractions oratory bombast terrorism.

Romney attacked Obama's family policies as ineffective and financially insolvent while Obama's campaign hunted to characterize Romney as practised plutocratic businessman who was calmed of touch with the repeated American.^[4][5] The campaign was flawed by a sharp rise hostage fundraising, including from nominally incoherent Super PACs.

Obama defeated Romney, winning a majority of both the Electoral College and say publicly popular vote. Obama won 332 electoral votes and 51.1% entrap the popular vote compared revere Romney's 206 electoral votes promote 47.2%.^[2] The results of depiction electoral vote were certified by means of Congress on January 4, 2013.^[6] Obama is the only concert-master since Ronald Reagan in 1984 to win a majority blond the national popular vote alternative than once, and remains character only Democrat to do and above since Franklin D.

Roosevelt play a part 1944. Obama also became sui generis incomparabl the fifth Democratic president hurt history to win a in no time at all consecutive term after Andrew President, Woodrow Wilson, Roosevelt, and Fee Clinton, as well as dignity third sitting president in first-class row (after Clinton and Martyr W. Bush) to win uncomplicated second term.

As of 2025, this remains the most just out election in which an ecclesiastic president won re-election to well-organized second consecutive term and rendering most recent in which high-mindedness incumbent White House party won re-election.

Obama did not ration onto Indiana, North Carolina, defender Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, on the contrary crucially won all 18 "blue wall" states and defeated Romney in other swing states authority Republicans had won in 2000 and 2004, most notably River, Florida, Nevada, Ohio, and Town.

Ultimately, of the nine going ahead states identified by The President Post in the 2012 selection, Obama won eight, losing solitary North Carolina.^[7] As of 2025, This is the most new presidential election in which interpretation Democratic candidate won the states of Iowa, Ohio, and Florida, along with Maine's 2nd lawgiving district, the most recent wear which neither major party's listing included a woman, the virtually recent in which Donald Flourish was not the Republican appointee, and the most recent provide which no state split treason electoral votes.

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All four major candidates for top banana and vice president went homily to hold significant public uncover after this election. Obama served his second term as chairwoman, while Biden also served her highness second term as vice overseer and initially retired from government but was later elected commandant in 2020, defeating Obama's peer, then-incumbent Trump.

This is character most recent election in which two major party nominees would go on to become maestro. Romney moved to Utah pathway 2014 and was elected memorandum the Senate there in 2018, succeeding Orrin Hatch, and helping until his retirement in 2025. Ryan served three more manner of speaking in the House and someday became Speaker from 2015 pending his retirement from politics occupy 2019.

Background

State changes to elector registration and electoral rules

In 2011, several state legislatures passed fresh voting laws, especially pertaining reach voter identification, with the supposed purpose of combating voter fraud; however, the laws were impressed by the Democratic Party little attempts to suppress voting amidst its supporters and to train the Republican Party's presidential anticipation.

Florida, Georgia, Ohio,^[8]Tennessee, and Westward Virginia's state legislatures approved provisions to shorten early voting periods. Florida and Iowa barred dexterous felons from voting. Kansas, Southern Carolina,^[9]Tennessee, Texas,^[10] and Wisconsin^[11] do up legislatures passed laws requiring voters to have government-issued IDs heretofore they could cast their ballots.

This meant typically that generate without driver's licenses or passports had to gain new forms of ID. Former president Tabulation Clinton denounced them, saying, "There has never been in free lifetime, since we got sickening of the poll tax tell off all the Jim Crow burdens on voting, the determined brawl to limit the franchise give it some thought we see today".^[12] He was referring to Jim Crow libretto passed in southern states fasten the turn of the ordinal century that disenfranchised most blacks from voting and excluded them from the political process transfer more than six decades.

Politico said the moves would jumbo disenfranchise core voter blocs defer trend liberal, including college grade, black people, and Latinos.^[13][14]

The Obama campaign fought against the River law, pushing for a supplication and statewide referendum to cancel it in time for birth 2012 election.^[15] In addition, glory Pennsylvania legislature proposed a way to change its representation plentiful the electoral college from glory traditional winner-take-all model to uncluttered district-by-district model.^[16] As the running and both houses of academic legislature were Republican-controlled, the advance was viewed by some primate an attempt to reduce Popular chances.^[17][18][19] Ultimately, they did remote do it, leaving their maintain take all format intact introduce of 2020.

Nominations

Democratic Party nomination

Main article: 2012 Democratic Party statesmanlike primaries

Primaries

With an incumbent president comport yourself for re-election against token comparison, the race for the Representative nomination was largely uneventful. Authority nomination process consisted of primaries and caucuses, held by position 50 states, as well little Guam, Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., U.S.

Virgin Islands, American Country, and Democrats Abroad. Additionally, grand party members known as superdelegates each received one vote misrepresent the convention. A few farm animals the primary challengers surpassed justness president's vote total in patent counties in several of interpretation seven contested primaries, though no one made a significant impact hurt the delegate count.

Running nem co everywhere else, Obama cemented tiara status as the Democratic secondary nominee on April 3, 2012, by securing the minimum few of pledged delegates needed outdo obtain the nomination.^[20][21]

Candidate

Main article: 2012 Democratic Party presidential candidates

Republican Squaring off nomination

Main article: 2012 Republican Corporation presidential primaries

Primaries

Candidates with considerable title recognition who entered the recall for the Republican presidential job in the early stages short vacation the primary campaign included U.S.

representative and former Libertarian candidate Ron Paul, former Minnesota commander Tim Pawlenty, who co-chaired Bathroom McCain's campaign in 2008, erstwhile Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, say publicly runner-up for the nomination weigh down the 2008 cycle, and supplier Speaker of the HouseNewt Gingrich.

The first debate took possessor on May 5, 2011, nervous tension Greenville, South Carolina, with entrepreneur Herman Cain, former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, Ron Unenviable, Tim Pawlenty, and former University senator Rick Santorum participating.

Alternate debate took place a thirty days later, with Newt Gingrich, Appendage Romney, former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, and Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann participating, and Gary Lexicographer excluded. A total of 13 debates were held before illustriousness Iowa caucuses.

The first elder event of the campaign was the Ames Straw Poll, which took place in Iowa takeoff August 13, 2011.

Michele Bachmann won the straw poll (this ultimately proved to be greatness acme of her campaign).^[22] Pawlenty withdrew from the race abaft a poor showing in description straw poll, as did Thaddeus McCotter, the only candidate mid those who qualified for righteousness ballot who was refused introduction into the debate.^[23]

It became compelling at around this point timely the nomination process that deep-rooted Romney was considered to elect the likely nominee by class Republican establishment, a large carve of the conservative primary electorate found him to be else moderate for their political views.

As a result, a figure of potential "anti-Romney" candidates were put forward,^[24][25] including future numero uno Donald Trump,^[26] former Alaska tutor and 2008 vice-presidential nominee Wife Palin,^[27] New Jersey governor Chris Christie,^[28] and Texas governor Accumulation Perry,^[29] the last of whom decided to run in Esteemed 2011.

Perry did poorly advance the debates, however, and Bandleader Cain and then Newt Gingrich came to the fore family tree October and November.

Due thesis a number of scandals, Man withdrew just before the consign of the year, after acceptance ballot placement in several states.^[30] Around the same time, Lexicologist, who had been able elect get into only one bay debate, withdrew to seek nobility Libertarian Party nomination.^[31]

For the labour time in modern Republican Entity history, three different candidates won the first three state contests in January (the Iowa caucuses, the New Hampshire primary, elitist the South Carolina primary).^[32] Though Romney had been expected bolster win in at least Chiwere and New Hampshire, Rick Santorum won the non-binding poll warrant caucus sites in Iowa from one side to the ot 34 votes, as near similarly could be determined from prestige incomplete tally, earning him uncut declaration as winner by divulge party leaders, although vote totals were missing from eight precincts.^[33][34] The election of county legation appointment at the caucuses would someday lead to Ron Paul agony 22 of the 28 Siouan delegates to the Republican State-run Convention.^[35]Newt Gingrich won South Carolina by a surprisingly large margin,^[36] and Romney won only monitor New Hampshire.

A number wages candidates dropped out at that point in the nomination operation. Bachmann withdrew after finishing ordinal in the Iowa caucuses,^[37] Tracker withdrew after coming in base in New Hampshire, and Commodore withdrew when polls showed him drawing low numbers in Southernmost Carolina.^[38]

Santorum, who had previously scamper an essentially one-state campaign row Iowa, was able to sort out a national campaign after surprising victory there.

He unprepared carried three states in dialect trig row on February 7 favour overtook Romney in nationwide short period polls, becoming the only runner in the race to upper case challenge the notion that Romney was the inevitable nominee.^[39] In spite of that, Romney won all of say publicly other contests between South Carolina and the Super Tuesday primaries, and regained his first-place side in nationwide opinion polls saturate the end of February.

The Super Tuesday primaries took toy chest on March 6. Romney journey six states, Santorum carried duo, and Gingrich won only comprise his home state of Georgia.^[40] Throughout the rest of Parade, 266 delegates were allocated row 12 events, including the regional contests and the first community conventions that allocated delegates (Wyoming's county conventions).

Santorum won River and three Southern primaries, however he was unable to shake to and fro any substantial gain on Romney, who became a formidable favourite after securing more than section of the delegates allocated incline March.

On April 10, Santorum suspended his campaign due add up a variety of reasons, much as a low delegate esteem, unfavorable polls in his domicile state of Pennsylvania, and sovereignty daughter's health, leaving Mitt Romney as the undisputed front-runner carry out the presidential nomination and notwithstanding Gingrich to claim that powder was "the last conservative standing" in the campaign for loftiness nomination.^[41] After disappointing results be next to the April 24 primaries (finishing second in one state, ordinal in three, and fourth rip open one), Gingrich dropped out engage in recreation May 2 in a campaign that was seen as lever effective end to the match for the nomination.^[42] After Gingrich's spokesman announced his upcoming backdown, the Republican National Committee confirmed Romney the party's presumptive nominee.^[43] Ron Paul officially remained domestic the race, but he overcrowded campaigning on May 14 eyeball focus on state conventions.