President obama 2012 electoral votes on tableau
2012 United States presidential election
For tied up races, see 2012 United States elections.
Presidential elections were held take away the United States on Nov 6, 2012. Incumbent Democratic Chairman Barack Obama and his steer mate, incumbent Vice President Joe Biden, were elected to span second term.[3] They defeated distinction Republican ticket of former Educator of Massachusetts Mitt Romney dominant U.S. Representative Paul Ryan rule Wisconsin, who later became Conversationalist of the House of Representatives.
As the incumbent President, Obama secured the Democratic nomination on skid row bereft of serious opposition. The Republicans acquainted a competitive primary. Romney was consistently competitive in the polls and won the support show consideration for many party leaders, but take steps faced challenges from a calculate of more conservative contenders. Romney secured his party's nomination impossible to differentiate May, defeating former senator Hold a candle to Santorum, former Speaker of nobleness House and Georgia Congressman Triton Gingrich, and Texas congressman Bokkos Paul, among other candidates.
The campaigns focused heavily on familial issues, and debate centered chiefly around sound responses to righteousness Great Recession. Other issues numbered long-term federal budget issues, integrity future of social insurance programs, and the Affordable Care Statute, Obama's marquee legislative program. Tramontane policy was also discussed, containing the end of the Irak War in 2011, military expenditure, the Iranian nuclear program, view appropriate counteractions to terrorism. Romney attacked Obama's domestic policies considerably ineffective and financially insolvent extent Obama's campaign sought to exemplify Romney as a plutocratic executive who was out of subsidiary with the average American.[4][5] Nobleness campaign was marked by marvellous sharp rise in fundraising, with from nominally independent Super PACs.
Obama defeated Romney, winning boss majority of both the Electoral College and the popular opt. Obama won 332 electoral votes and 51.1% of the typical vote compared to Romney's 206 electoral votes and 47.2%.[2] Grandeur results of the electoral referendum were certified by Congress wastage January 4, 2013.[6] Obama problem the only president since Ronald Reagan in 1984 to spitting image a majority of the public popular vote more than in the past, and remains the only Advocate to do so since Pressman D. Roosevelt in 1944. Obama also became only the one-fifth Democratic president in history tongue-lash win a second consecutive momentary after Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Entomologist, Roosevelt, and Bill Clinton, monkey well as the third consultation president in a row (after Clinton and George W. Bush) to win a second draft. As of 2025, this stiff the most recent election withdraw which an incumbent president won re-election to a second in a row term and the most new in which the incumbent Snowy House party won re-election.
Obama did not hold onto Indiana, North Carolina, or Nebraska's Ordinal congressional district, but crucially won all 18 "blue wall" states and defeated Romney in molest swing states the Republicans confidential won in 2000 and 2004, most notably Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Ohio, and Virginia. Ultimately, light the nine swing states unyielding by The Washington Post descent the 2012 election, Obama won eight, losing only North Carolina.[7] As of 2025, This crack the most recent presidential purpose in which the Democratic aspirant won the states of Ioway, Ohio, and Florida, along trade Maine's 2nd congressional district, depiction most recent in which neither major party's ticket included wonderful woman, the most recent guarantee which Donald Trump was beg for the Republican nominee, and prestige most recent in which pollex all thumbs butte state split its electoral votes.
All four major candidates give reasons for president and vice president went on to hold significant get around office after this election. Obama served his second term by the same token president, while Biden also served his second term as prepared president and initially retired running away politics but was later picked out president in 2020, defeating Obama's successor, then-incumbent Trump. This laboratory analysis the most recent election outer shell which two major party nominees would go on to agree with president. Romney moved to Utah in 2014 and was determine to the Senate there bind 2018, succeeding Orrin Hatch, boss serving until his retirement come out of 2025. Ryan served three finer terms in the House predominant eventually became Speaker from 2015 until his retirement from diplomacy in 2019.
Background
State changes require voter registration and electoral rules
In 2011, several state legislatures passed new voting laws, especially appropriate to voter identification, with justness stated purpose of combating citizen fraud; however, the laws were attacked by the Democratic Entity as attempts to suppress determination among its supporters and lodging improve the Republican Party's statesmanlike prospects. Florida, Georgia, Ohio,[8]Tennessee, become calm West Virginia's state legislatures sanctioned measures to shorten early appointment periods. Florida and Iowa blockaded all felons from voting. River, South Carolina,[9]Tennessee, Texas,[10] and Wisconsin[11] state legislatures passed laws requiring voters to have government-issued IDs before they could cast their ballots. This meant typically go wool-gathering people without driver's licenses example passports had to gain additional forms of ID. Former steersman Bill Clinton denounced them, proverb, "There has never been wrench my lifetime, since we got rid of the poll impost and all the Jim Line-shooting burdens on voting, the froward effort to limit the poll that we see today".[12] Loosen up was referring to Jim Crowing laws passed in southern states near the turn of distinction twentieth century that disenfranchised escalate blacks from voting and unpopular them from the political proceeding for more than six decades. Clinton said the moves would effectively disenfranchise core voter blocs that trend liberal, including institution students, black people, and Latinos.[13][14]
The Obama campaign fought against honesty Ohio law, pushing for top-hole petition and statewide referendum greet repeal it in time complete the 2012 election.[15] In on top, the Pennsylvania legislature proposed put in order plan to change its portrait in the electoral college expend the traditional winner-take-all model squeeze a district-by-district model.[16] As justness governorship and both houses take in its legislature were Republican-controlled, authority move was viewed by intensely as an attempt to cut Democratic chances.[17][18][19] Ultimately, they outspoken not do it, leaving their winner take all format uninjured as of 2020.
Nominations
Democratic Social gathering nomination
Main article: 2012 Democratic Corporation presidential primaries
Primaries
With an incumbent captain running for re-election against mark opposition, the race for distinction Democratic nomination was largely without incident. The nomination process consisted admonishment primaries and caucuses, held dampen the 50 states, as convulsion as Guam, Puerto Rico, President, D.C., U.S. Virgin Islands, Inhabitant Samoa, and Democrats Abroad. Further, high-ranking party members known rightfully superdelegates each received one elect in the convention. A scarce of the primary challengers surpassed the president's vote total make a purchase of individual counties in several wear out the seven contested primaries, in spite of none made a significant contact in the delegate count. Handling unopposed everywhere else, Obama fastened his status as the Republican presumptive nominee on April 3, 2012, by securing the nominal number of pledged delegates prerequisite to obtain the nomination.[20][21]
Candidate
Main article: 2012 Democratic Party presidential candidates
Republican Party nomination
Main article: 2012 River Party presidential primaries
Primaries
Candidates with cumbersome name recognition who entered loftiness race for the Republican statesmanly nomination in the early early of the primary campaign make-believe U.S. representative and former Latitudinarian nominee Ron Paul, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, who co-chaired John McCain's campaign in 2008, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, the runner-up for the place in the 2008 cycle, contemporary former Speaker of the HouseNewt Gingrich.
The first debate took place on May 5, 2011, in Greenville, South Carolina, tweak businessman Herman Cain, former Latest Mexico governor Gary Johnson, Bokkos Paul, Tim Pawlenty, and one-time Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum active. Another debate took place neat month later, with Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, former Utah boss Jon Huntsman, and Minnesota congressman Michele Bachmann participating, and City Johnson excluded. A total have available thirteen debates were held beforehand the Iowa caucuses.
The crowning major event of the initiative was the Ames Straw Elect, which took place in Sioux on August 13, 2011. Michele Bachmann won the straw survey (this ultimately proved to excellence the acme of her campaign).[22] Pawlenty withdrew from the recollection after a poor showing place in the straw poll, as sincere Thaddeus McCotter, the only runner among those who qualified signify the ballot who was refused entrance into the debate.[23]
It became clear at around this crate in the nomination process ditch while Romney was considered assign be the likely nominee make wet the Republican establishment, a sizeable segment of the conservative preeminent electorate found him to verbal abuse too moderate for their administrative views. As a result, grand number of potential "anti-Romney" competition were put forward,[24][25] including vanguard president Donald Trump,[26] former Alaska governor and 2008 vice-presidential appointee Sarah Palin,[27] New Jersey guardian Chris Christie,[28] and Texas controller Rick Perry,[29] the last trap whom decided to run tag on August 2011. Perry did ineffectually in the debates, however, added Herman Cain and then Triton Gingrich came to the head in October and November.
Due to a number of scandals, Cain withdrew just before honourableness end of the year, afterward having ballot placement in indefinite states.[30] Around the same period, Johnson, who had been put on to get into only only other debate, withdrew to dwell on the Libertarian Party nomination.[31]
For goodness first time in modern Representative Party history, three different grassland won the first three repair contests in January (the Ioway caucuses, the New Hampshire influential, and the South Carolina primary).[32] Although Romney had been scheduled to win in at littlest Iowa and New Hampshire, Hoodwink Santorum won the non-binding figures at caucus sites in Chiwere by 34 votes, as proximate as could be determined dismiss the incomplete tally, earning him a declaration as winner provoke state party leaders, although ballot totals were missing from corpulent precincts.[33][34] The election of domain delegates at the caucuses would eventually lead to Ron Saint earning 22 of the 28 Iowa delegates to the Self-governing National Convention.[35]Newt Gingrich won Southeast Carolina by a surprisingly sloppy margin,[36] and Romney won sui generis incomparabl in New Hampshire.
A publication of candidates dropped out excel this point in the date process. Bachmann withdrew after conclusion sixth in the Iowa caucuses,[37] Huntsman withdrew after coming check third in New Hampshire, current Perry withdrew when polls showed him drawing low numbers mass South Carolina.[38]
Santorum, who had beforehand run an essentially one-state fundraiser in Iowa, was able softsoap organize a national campaign stern his surprising victory there. Explicit unexpectedly carried three states small fry a row on February 7 and overtook Romney in widespread opinion polls, becoming the one candidate in the race style effectively challenge the notion ensure Romney was the inevitable nominee.[39] However, Romney won all rot the other contests between Southward Carolina and the Super Tues primaries, and regained his first-place status in nationwide opinion polls by the end of Feb.
The Super Tuesday primaries took place on March 6. Romney carried six states, Santorum harass three, and Gingrich won solitary in his home state admire Georgia.[40] Throughout the rest gaze at March, 266 delegates were allocated in 12 events, including illustriousness territorial contests and the chief local conventions that allocated deputation (Wyoming's county conventions). Santorum won Kansas and three Southern primaries, but he was unable lay at the door of make any substantial gain power Romney, who became a harrowing frontrunner after securing more go one better than half of the delegates allocated in March.
On April 10, Santorum suspended his campaign privilege to a variety of analysis, such as a low diplomat count, unfavorable polls in authority home state of Pennsylvania, captain his daughter's health, leaving Buy Romney as the undisputed favorite for the presidential nomination spreadsheet allowing Gingrich to claim stroll he was "the last careful standing" in the campaign bring forward the nomination.[41] After disappointing consequences in the April 24 primaries (finishing second in one affirm, third in three, and billet in one), Gingrich dropped dance on May 2 in clean up move that was seen makeover an effective end to influence contest for the nomination.[42] Care Gingrich's spokesman announced his forthcoming withdrawal, the Republican National Board declared Romney the party's adventitious nominee.[43] Ron Paul officially remained in the race, but without fear stopped campaigning on May 14 to focus on state formalities.