2012 United States Senate election in Rhode Island

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2012 United States Senate election in Rhode Island
Flag of Rhode Island.svg
←  2006 November 6, 2012 2018  →
Turnout58.0% (voting eligible) [1]
  Senwhitehouse.jpg No image.svg
Nominee Sheldon Whitehouse Barry Hinckley
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote271,034146,222
Percentage64.81%34.97%
2018 United States Senate election in Rhode Island results map by county.svg
2012 United States Senate election in Rhode Island results map by municipality.svg
Whitehouse:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
Hinckley:      50–60%
U.S. senator before election

Sheldon Whitehouse
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Sheldon Whitehouse
Democratic

The 2012 United States Senate election in Rhode Island was on November 6, 2012, alongside the presidential election, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections.

Contents

In the 2006 Senate election, former Attorney General of Rhode Island Sheldon Whitehouse defeated one-term Republican incumbent Lincoln Chafee. Chafee had been appointed to the Senate in 1999 when his father, the incumbent senator John Chafee died. He then won election to a first term in 2000. Whitehouse won 53.52% of the vote in 2006.

Incumbent Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse was reelected to a second term in a landslide by a 30 point margin of 65% - 35%. This election was the first time since 1970 that the election for Rhode Island's Class 1 Senate seat did not feature a member of the Chafee family.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Unsuccessful

  • Todd Giroux, contractor and Independent candidate for governor in 2010 [2]

Results

Democratic primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Sheldon Whitehouse (incumbent) 60,223 100.00%
Total votes60,223 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

  • Barry Hinckley, president and co-founder of software company Bullhorn [3]

Declined

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Scott
Avedisian		Donald
Carcieri		Buddy
Cianci		Giovanni
Cicione		Allan
Fung		John
Loughlin		John
Robitaille		Catherine
Taylor		Other/
Undecided
Public Policy Polling February 16–22, 2011250±6.2%12%44%12%0%6%12%12%2%—

Results

Republican primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Barry Hinckley 6,890 100.00%
Total votes6,890 100.00%

Independent

Candidates

Declined

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [14] Solid DNovember 1, 2012
Sabato's Crystal Ball [15] Safe DNovember 5, 2012
Rothenberg Political Report [16] Safe DNovember 2, 2012
Real Clear Politics [17] Safe DNovember 5, 2012

Debates

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Sheldon
Whitehouse (D)		Barry
Hinckley (R)		OtherUndecided
Fleming & Associates February 20–23, 2012511±4.38%50%28%—20%
Fleming & Associates September 26–29, 2012501±4.38%56%30%—11%
Brown University September 26 – October 5, 2012471±4.4%59%30%—12%
McLaughlin and Associates [ permanent dead link ]October 11, 2012300±5.6%49%41%—10%
Fleming & Associates October 24–27, 2012601±4%55%33%—10%
Hypothetical polling
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Sheldon
Whitehouse (D)		Scott
Avedisian (R)		OtherUndecided
Public Policy Polling February 16–22, 2011544±4.2%47%37%—16%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Sheldon
Whitehouse (D)		Donald
Carcieri (R)		OtherUndecided
Public Policy Polling February 16–22, 2011544±4.2%54%37%—8%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Sheldon
Whitehouse (D)		Donald
Carcieri (R)		Buddy
Cianci (I)		OtherUndecided
Public Policy Polling February 16–22, 2011544±4.2%43%31%22%—4%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Sheldon
Whitehouse (D)		Buddy
Cianci (R)		OtherUndecided
Public Policy Polling February 16–22, 2011544±4.2%51%35%—14%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Sheldon
Whitehouse (D)		John
Loughlin (R)		OtherUndecided
Public Policy Polling February 16–22, 2011544±4.2%51%34%—15%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Sheldon
Whitehouse (D)		John
Robitaille (R)		OtherUndecided
Public Policy Polling February 16–22, 2011544±4.2%49%38%—13%
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Sheldon
Whitehouse (D)		John
Robitaille (R)		Buddy
Cianci (I)		OtherUndecided
Public Policy Polling February 16–22, 2011544±4.2%44%28%24%—4%

Results

United States Senate election in Rhode Island, 2012 [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Sheldon Whitehouse (incumbent) 271,034 64.81% +11.29%
Republican Barry Hinckley146,22234.97%-11.51%
Write-in 9330.22%N/A
Total votes418,189 100.00% N/A
Democratic hold

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Results by congressional district

Whitehouse won both congressional districts. [19]

DistrictWhitehouseHinckleyRepresentative
1st 68.5%31.5% David Cicilline
2nd 61.71%38.29% James Langevin

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Dr. Michael McDonald (February 9, 2013). "2012 General Election Turnout Rates". George Mason University. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  2. ↑ Arditi, Lynn (April 21, 2012). "Todd Giroux announces bid for U.S. Senate". The Providence Journal . Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  3. ↑ McGowan, Dan (May 28, 2011). "Senate Battle Heats Up: Hinckley Blasts Whitehouse". GoLocalProv. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  4. ↑ Peoples, Steve (November 9, 2010). "GOPer Giovanni Cicione Considering Bid Against Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse". Roll Call . Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  5. ↑ Nesi, Ted (October 28, 2011). "Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian". WPRI-TV . Twitter . Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Carcieri says he's decided against running for U.S. Senate". Providence Journal . November 16, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  7. ↑ Donnis, Ian (February 25, 2011). "Rhode Island Tip Sheet: National exposure for RI penches". WRNI-FM . Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  8. ↑ Catanese, David (May 10, 2011). "Former police superintendent to challenge Cicilline". Politico . Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  9. ↑ Nesi, Ted (November 10, 2010). "Carcieri, Avedisian, Cicione may take on Whitehouse". WPRI-TV . Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
  10. ↑ Nesi, Ted (February 22, 2011). "Fung 'not considering' $5M run against Whitehouse". WPRI-TV . Archived from the original on March 1, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
  11. ↑ Nesi, Ted (December 2, 2010). "Robitaille: I may run for Senate in '12". WPRI-TV . Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  12. ↑ Silverman, Bradley (January 19, 2011). "Robitaille Likely to Run for Governor Again". WBRU . Archived from the original on January 21, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  13. ↑ Maxon, Jake (January 21, 2011). "2012 Senate Run a Possibility for Former Hasbro CEO". WBRU . Archived from the original on January 31, 2011. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  14. ↑ "2012 Senate Race Ratings for November 1, 2012". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  15. ↑ "2012 Senate". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  16. ↑ "2012 Senate Ratings". Senate Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  17. ↑ "2012 Elections Map - Battle for the Senate 2012". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  18. ↑ "RI.gov: Election Results". www.ri.gov.
  19. ↑ "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts". Daily Kos. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
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