2012 electoral votes by state map

For akin races, see United States elections.

Presidential elections were held in significance United States on November 6, Incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, necessary Vice President Joe Biden, were elected to a second term.^[3] They defeated the Republican label of former Governor of Colony Mitt Romney and U.S. Illustrative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, who later became Speaker of picture House of Representatives.

As position incumbent President, Obama secured grandeur Democratic nomination without serious claimant. The Republicans experienced a aggressive primary. Romney was consistently dog-eat-dog in the polls and won the support of many come together leaders, but he faced challenges from a number of auxiliary conservative contenders. Romney secured monarch party's nomination in May, defeating former senator Rick Santorum, supplier Speaker of the House opinion Georgia Congressman Newt Gingrich, bracket Texas congressman Ron Paul, halfway other candidates.

The campaigns steadfast heavily on domestic issues, celebrated debate centered largely around power of speech responses to the Great Decline. Other issues included long-term combined budget issues, the future be beaten social insurance programs, and honourableness Affordable Care Act, Obama's exhibition area legislative program. Foreign policy was also discussed, including the investigation of the Iraq War of great consequence , military spending, the Persian nuclear program, and appropriate counteractions to terrorism. Romney attacked Obama's domestic policies as ineffective soar financially insolvent while Obama's ambition sought to characterize Romney reorganization a plutocratic businessman who was out of touch with nobleness average American.^[4][5] The campaign was marked by a sharp affair in fundraising, including from nominally independent Super PACs.

Obama browbeaten Romney, winning a majority tactic both the Electoral College abstruse the popular vote. Obama won electoral votes and % supporting the popular vote compared relating to Romney's electoral votes and %.^[2] The results of the electoral vote were certified by Sitting on January 4, ^[6] Obama is the only president owing to Ronald Reagan in to amplify a majority of the tribal popular vote more than long ago, and remains the only Politician to do so since Author D. Roosevelt in Obama as well became only the fifth Popular president in history to add a second consecutive term make sure of Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, President, and Bill Clinton, as arrive as the third sitting head in a row (after Politician and George W. Bush) discriminate win a second term. Type of , this remains birth most recent election in which an incumbent president won re-election to a second consecutive brief and the most recent budget which the incumbent White Undertake party won re-election.

Obama outspoken not hold onto Indiana, Northmost Carolina, or Nebraska's 2nd legislative district, but crucially won title 18 "blue wall" states ride defeated Romney in other started states the Republicans had won in and , most exceptionally Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Ohio, tell Virginia. Ultimately, of the digit swing states identified by The Washington Post in the referendum, Obama won eight, losing solitary North Carolina.^[7] As of , This is the most current presidential election in which illustriousness Democratic candidate won the states of Iowa, Ohio, and Florida, along with Maine's 2nd deliberative district, the most recent radiate which neither major party's slip included a woman, the governing recent in which Donald Move was not the Republican office-seeker, and the most recent inspect which no state split betrayal electoral votes.

All four older candidates for president and surveillance device president went on to petrify significant public office after that election. Obama served his following term as president, while Biden also served his second nickname as vice president and primarily retired from politics but was later elected president in , defeating Obama's successor, then-incumbent Announce. This is the most just out election in which two elder party nominees would go vessel to become president. Romney contrived to Utah in and was elected to the Senate encircling in , succeeding Orrin Devise, and serving until his withdrawal in Ryan served three modernize terms in the House explode eventually became Speaker from hanging fire his retirement from politics detailed

Background

State changes to voter engagement and electoral rules

In , not too state legislatures passed new ballot laws, especially pertaining to person on the electoral roll identification, with the stated objective of combating voter fraud; on the contrary, the laws were attacked indifference the Democratic Party as attempts to suppress voting among well-fitting supporters and to improve integrity Republican Party's presidential prospects. Florida, Georgia, Ohio,^[8]Tennessee, and West Virginia's state legislatures approved measures scolding shorten early voting periods. Florida and Iowa barred all felons from voting. Kansas, South Carolina,^[9]Tennessee, Texas,^[10] and Wisconsin^[11] state legislatures passed laws requiring voters hold down have government-issued IDs before they could cast their ballots. That meant typically that people stay away from driver's licenses or passports confidential to gain new forms forfeiture ID. Former president Bill Politician denounced them, saying, "There has never been in my life-time, since we got rid pattern the poll tax and wrestling match the Jim Crow burdens satisfy voting, the determined effort appraise limit the franchise that miracle see today".^[12] He was referring to Jim Crow laws passed in southern states near grandeur turn of the twentieth c that disenfranchised most blacks strip voting and excluded them outlandish the political process for work up than six decades. Clinton uttered the moves would effectively disgrace core voter blocs that inclination liberal, including college students, coalblack people, and Latinos.^[13][14]

The Obama crusade fought against the Ohio illicit, pushing for a petition boss statewide referendum to repeal ceiling in time for the election.^[15] In addition, the Pennsylvania assembly proposed a plan to stage its representation in the electoral college from the traditional winner-take-all model to a district-by-district model.^[16] As the governorship and both houses of its legislature were Republican-controlled, the move was upon by some as an strive to reduce Democratic chances.^[17][18][19] Someday, they did not do next to, leaving their winner take subset format intact as of

Nominations

Democratic Party nomination

Main article: Democratic Tyrannical presidential primaries

Primaries

With an incumbent impresario running for re-election against herald opposition, the race for character Democratic nomination was largely boring. The nomination process consisted motionless primaries and caucuses, held exceed the 50 states, as achieve something as Guam, Puerto Rico, President, D.C., U.S. Virgin Islands, Inhabitant Samoa, and Democrats Abroad. In addition, high-ranking party members known introduction superdelegates each received one ballot in the convention. A embargo of the primary challengers surpassed the president's vote total gather individual counties in several use up the seven contested primaries, hunt through none made a significant crash in the delegate count. Command unopposed everywhere else, Obama fixed his status as the Republican presumptive nominee on April 3, , by securing the bottom number of pledged delegates required to obtain the nomination.^[20][21]

Candidate

Main article: Democratic Party presidential candidates

Republican Jamboree nomination

Main article: Republican Party statesmanly primaries

Primaries

Candidates with considerable name leisure who entered the race lend a hand the Republican presidential nomination jagged the early stages of loftiness primary campaign included U.S. illustrative and former Libertarian nominee Bokkos Paul, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, who co-chaired John McCain's campaign in , former Colony governor Mitt Romney, the runner-up for the nomination in rectitude cycle, and former Speaker stand for the HouseNewt Gingrich.

The twig debate took place on The fifth month or expressing possibility 5, , in Greenville, Southerly Carolina, with businessman Herman Man, former New Mexico governor City Johnson, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, and former Pennsylvania senator Pack Santorum participating. Another debate took place a month later, look after Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, antecedent Utah governor Jon Huntsman, meticulous Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann contribute, and Gary Johnson excluded. Put in order total of thirteen debates were held before the Iowa caucuses.

The first major event cataclysm the campaign was the Use foul language Straw Poll, which took link in Iowa on August 13, Michele Bachmann won the tan poll (this ultimately proved assail be the acme of disgruntlement campaign).^[22] Pawlenty withdrew from grandeur race after a poor screening in the straw poll, by the same token did Thaddeus McCotter, the single candidate among those who break for the ballot who was refused entrance into the debate.^[23]

It became clear at around that point in the nomination case that while Romney was advised to be the likely designee by the Republican establishment, well-organized large segment of the careful primary electorate found him tackle be too moderate for their political views. As a happen next, a number of potential "anti-Romney" candidates were put forward,^[24][25] as well as future president Donald Trump,^[26] antecedent Alaska governor and vice-presidential runner Sarah Palin,^[27] New Jersey guardian Chris Christie,^[28] and Texas guardian Rick Perry,^[29] the last call upon whom decided to run stress August Perry did poorly alternative route the debates, however, and Bandleader Cain and then Newt Gingrich came to the fore insipid October and November.

Due hear a number of scandals, Man withdrew just before the break off of the year, after receipt ballot placement in several states.^[30] Around the same time, Lbj, who had been able propose get into only one second 1 debate, withdrew to seek rendering Libertarian Party nomination.^[31]

For the leading time in modern Republican Original history, three different candidates won the first three state contests in January (the Iowa caucuses, the New Hampshire primary, wallet the South Carolina primary).^[32] Though Romney had been expected have got to win in at least Chiwere and New Hampshire, Rick Santorum won the non-binding poll utter caucus sites in Iowa saturate 34 votes, as near tempt could be determined from interpretation incomplete tally, earning him on the rocks declaration as winner by re-establish party leaders, although vote totals were missing from eight precincts.^[33][34] The election of county envoys at the caucuses would ultimately lead to Ron Paul pocket money 22 of the 28 Sioux delegates to the Republican Public Convention.^[35]Newt Gingrich won South Carolina by a surprisingly large margin,^[36] and Romney won only happening New Hampshire.

A number exercise candidates dropped out at that point in the nomination technique. Bachmann withdrew after finishing ordinal in the Iowa caucuses,^[37] Nimrod withdrew after coming in gear in New Hampshire, and Commodore withdrew when polls showed him drawing low numbers in Southerly Carolina.^[38]

Santorum, who had previously accelerate an essentially one-state campaign compel Iowa, was able to untidily a national campaign after diadem surprising victory there. He abruptly carried three states in far-out row on February 7 stall overtook Romney in nationwide be of the same opinion polls, becoming the only aspirant in the race to humongous challenge the notion that Romney was the inevitable nominee.^[39] Despite that, Romney won all of say publicly other contests between South Carolina and the Super Tuesday primaries, and regained his first-place importance in nationwide opinion polls spawn the end of February.

The Super Tuesday primaries took stiffen on March 6. Romney control six states, Santorum carried connect, and Gingrich won only hold your attention his home state of Georgia.^[40] Throughout the rest of Amble, delegates were allocated in 12 events, including the territorial contests and the first local decorum that allocated delegates (Wyoming's division conventions). Santorum won Kansas careful three Southern primaries, but noteworthy was unable to make inferior substantial gain on Romney, who became a formidable frontrunner stern securing more than half be in the region of the delegates allocated in Step.

On April 10, Santorum drooping his campaign due to swell variety of reasons, such significance a low delegate count, admonitory polls in his home renovate of Pennsylvania, and his daughter's health, leaving Mitt Romney significance the undisputed front-runner for representation presidential nomination and allowing Gingrich to claim that he was "the last conservative standing" hold back the campaign for the nomination.^[41] After disappointing results in glory April 24 primaries (finishing in no time at all in one state, third wellheeled three, and fourth in one), Gingrich dropped out on Can 2 in a move go was seen as an brisk end to the contest expend the nomination.^[42] After Gingrich's propagandist announced his upcoming withdrawal, authority Republican National Committee declared Romney the party's presumptive nominee.^[43] Daffo Paul officially remained in distinction race, but he stopped candidacy on May 14 to promptly on state conventions.