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Turnout | 71.17% [1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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County Results
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Elections in Colorado |
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The 2012 United States presidential election in Colorado took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Colorado voters chose nine electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan. Obama and Biden carried Colorado with 51.48% of the popular vote to Romney's and Ryan's 46.12%, thus winning the state's nine electoral votes by a 5.36% margin. [2]
As in 2008, the key to Obama's victory was Democratic dominance in the Denver area, sweeping not just the city but also the heavily populated suburban counties around Denver, particularly Adams, Arapahoe, and Jefferson counties; as well as winning Larimer County, home to Fort Collins. Obama also took nearly 70% of the vote in Boulder County, home to Boulder; and won Chaffee County, which he had lost to McCain in 2008. Romney's most populated county wins were in El Paso County, where Colorado Springs is located; and Weld County, a suburb of Denver and home to Greeley.
This election solidified Colorado's transformation from a historically Republican-leaning state into a Democratic-leaning swing state. Obama's 2012 victory in the state, on the heels of his 2008 victory, marked the first time that the Democrats had carried Colorado in two consecutive elections since the landslide re-election of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936, the first time that the state had voted Democratic in a close election since 1948, and the first time since 1964 that a sitting Democratic president carried Colorado.
Colorado served as the tipping-point state for Obama's overall victory in the presidential election; that is, the first state to give a candidate their 270th electoral vote when all states are arranged by their margins of victory. Colorado was also the tipping-point state for Obama's 2008 victory. This marks the second time in history that a president was elected and re-elected by winning the same tipping-point state, after Richard Nixon was carried to victory by Ohio twice in 1968 and 1972.
As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last election in which rural Conejos County, Huerfano County, and Las Animas County have voted for the Democratic candidate.
Incumbent President Barack Obama ran unopposed in the Colorado Democratic caucuses.
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The 2012 Colorado Republican presidential caucuses took place on 7 February 2012. It was part of the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries. The race was widely expected to be won by Mitt Romney even on the day of the caucus, but a strong surge by Rick Santorum across all three races that day carried him to a close victory. However, the delegates were not legally bound to follow voter preferences, and most voted for Romney.
Incumbent Barack Obama started off with a wide lead in polls ranging from 1 to 13 points, which continued throughout the early summer of 2012. On August 6, Romney won his first poll, 50% to 45%. Throughout the rest of the summer, and September, with the exception of a few points, Obama won almost every poll but narrowly. In October, Romney gained momentum and the race throughout October was essentially tied, with neither candidate taking a significant lead. The last week before the election, Obama gained momentum and won each of the 4 pre-election polls. The average of the last 3 pre-election polls showed Obama leading Romney 49.7% to 46.3%. [3] The final pre-election poll showed Obama leading Romney 52% to 46%, which was accurate compared to the results. Washington Post rated this race "Toss-Up." [4] [5]
2012 United States presidential election in Colorado | ||||||
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Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
Democratic | Barack Obama (incumbent) | Joe Biden (incumbent) | 1,323,102 | 51.45% | 9 | |
Republican | Mitt Romney | Paul Ryan | 1,185,243 | 46.09% | 0 | |
Libertarian | Gary Johnson | Jim Gray | 35,545 | 1.38% | 0 | |
Green | Jill Stein | Cheri Honkala | 7,508 | 0.29% | 0 | |
Constitution | Virgil Goode | Jim Clymer | 6,234 | 0.24% | 0 | |
Peace & Freedom | Roseanne Barr | Cindy Sheehan | 5,059 | 0.20% | 0 | |
Unaffiliated | Jill Ann Reed | Tom Cary | 2,589 | 0.10% | 0 | |
Justice | Rocky Anderson | Luis J. Rodriguez | 1,260 | 0.05% | 0 | |
Others | Others | 1,028 | 0.04% | 0 | ||
America's Party | Thomas Hoefling | Jonathan D. Ellis | 679 | 0.03% | 0 | |
Socialism and Liberation | Gloria La Riva | Filberto Ramirez Jr. | 317 | 0.01% | 0 | |
Socialist | Stewart Alexander | Alex Mendoza | 308 | 0.01% | 0 | |
American Third Position | Merlin Miller | Harry Bertram | 266 | 0.01% | 0 | |
Socialist Workers | James Harris | Alyson Kennedy | 192 | 0.01% | 0 | |
Socialist Equality | Jerry White | Phyllis Scherrer | 189 | 0.01% | 0 | |
Totals | 2,569,518 | 100.00% | 9 | |||
County | Barack Obama Democratic | Mitt Romney Republican | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
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# | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
Adams | 100,649 | 56.90% | 70,972 | 40.12% | 5,272 | 2.98% | 29,677 | 16.78% | 176,893 |
Alamosa | 3,811 | 56.75% | 2,705 | 40.28% | 199 | 2.97% | 1,106 | 16.47% | 6,715 |
Arapahoe | 153,905 | 53.90% | 125,588 | 43.99% | 6,023 | 2.11% | 28,317 | 9.91% | 285,516 |
Archuleta | 2,679 | 39.78% | 3,872 | 57.50% | 183 | 2.72% | -1,193 | -17.72% | 6,734 |
Baca | 467 | 22.17% | 1,559 | 74.03% | 80 | 3.80% | -1,092 | -51.86% | 2,106 |
Bent | 815 | 41.97% | 1,075 | 55.36% | 52 | 2.67% | -260 | -13.39% | 1,942 |
Boulder | 125,091 | 69.69% | 49,981 | 27.84% | 4,427 | 2.47% | 75,110 | 41.85% | 179,499 |
Broomfield | 16,966 | 51.62% | 15,008 | 45.67% | 891 | 2.71% | 1,958 | 5.95% | 32,865 |
Chaffee | 5,086 | 48.61% | 5,070 | 48.46% | 306 | 2.93% | 16 | 0.15% | 10,462 |
Cheyenne | 172 | 15.74% | 889 | 81.34% | 32 | 2.92% | -717 | -65.60% | 1,093 |
Clear Creek | 3,119 | 54.31% | 2,430 | 42.31% | 194 | 3.38% | 689 | 12.00% | 5,743 |
Conejos | 2,213 | 53.96% | 1,835 | 44.75% | 53 | 1.29% | 378 | 9.21% | 4,101 |
Costilla | 1,340 | 72.95% | 446 | 24.28% | 51 | 2.77% | 894 | 48.67% | 1,837 |
Crowley | 535 | 35.62% | 924 | 61.52% | 43 | 2.86% | -389 | -25.90% | 1,502 |
Custer | 868 | 31.97% | 1,788 | 65.86% | 59 | 2.17% | -920 | -33.89% | 2,715 |
Delta | 4,622 | 29.02% | 10,915 | 68.54% | 388 | 2.44% | -6,293 | -39.52% | 15,925 |
Denver | 222,018 | 73.41% | 73,111 | 24.18% | 7,289 | 2.41% | 148,907 | 49.23% | 302,418 |
Dolores | 334 | 26.83% | 859 | 69.00% | 52 | 4.17% | -525 | -42.17% | 1,245 |
Douglas | 61,094 | 36.35% | 104,397 | 62.11% | 2,593 | 1.54% | -43,303 | -25.76% | 168,084 |
Eagle | 12,792 | 56.43% | 9,411 | 41.52% | 465 | 2.05% | 3,381 | 14.91% | 22,668 |
El Paso | 111,819 | 38.54% | 170,952 | 58.91% | 7,404 | 2.55% | -59,133 | -20.37% | 290,175 |
Elbert | 3,603 | 25.41% | 10,266 | 72.41% | 309 | 2.18% | -6,663 | -47.00% | 14,178 |
Fremont | 6,704 | 32.84% | 13,174 | 64.53% | 538 | 2.63% | -6,470 | -31.69% | 20,416 |
Garfield | 11,305 | 46.32% | 12,535 | 51.36% | 568 | 2.32% | -1,230 | -5.04% | 24,408 |
Gilpin | 1,892 | 56.68% | 1,346 | 40.32% | 100 | 3.00% | 546 | 16.36% | 3,338 |
Grand | 3,684 | 45.00% | 4,253 | 51.95% | 250 | 3.05% | -569 | -6.95% | 8,187 |
Gunnison | 5,044 | 58.20% | 3,341 | 38.55% | 282 | 3.25% | 1,703 | 19.65% | 8,667 |
Hinsdale | 229 | 38.17% | 353 | 58.83% | 18 | 3.00% | -124 | -20.66% | 600 |
Huerfano | 1,953 | 52.46% | 1,646 | 44.21% | 124 | 3.33% | 307 | 8.25% | 3,723 |
Jackson | 216 | 25.47% | 600 | 70.75% | 32 | 3.78% | -384 | -45.28% | 848 |
Jefferson | 159,296 | 51.21% | 144,197 | 46.36% | 7,559 | 2.43% | 15,099 | 4.85% | 311,052 |
Kiowa | 118 | 14.37% | 677 | 82.46% | 26 | 3.17% | -559 | -68.09% | 821 |
Kit Carson | 838 | 22.64% | 2,785 | 75.23% | 79 | 2.13% | -1,947 | -52.59% | 3,702 |
La Plata | 15,489 | 52.85% | 12,794 | 43.65% | 1,025 | 3.50% | 2,695 | 9.20% | 29,308 |
Lake | 1,839 | 60.49% | 1,098 | 36.12% | 103 | 3.39% | 741 | 24.37% | 3,040 |
Larimer | 92,747 | 51.47% | 82,376 | 45.72% | 5,057 | 2.81% | 10,371 | 5.75% | 180,180 |
Las Animas | 3,445 | 50.20% | 3,263 | 47.55% | 154 | 2.25% | 182 | 2.65% | 6,862 |
Lincoln | 552 | 24.14% | 1,687 | 73.76% | 48 | 2.10% | -1,135 | -49.62% | 2,287 |
Logan | 2,712 | 29.72% | 6,179 | 67.72% | 233 | 2.56% | -3,467 | -38.00% | 9,124 |
Mesa | 23,846 | 32.69% | 47,472 | 65.08% | 1,629 | 2.23% | -23,626 | -32.39% | 72,947 |
Mineral | 291 | 44.77% | 344 | 52.92% | 15 | 2.31% | -53 | -8.15% | 650 |
Moffat | 1,330 | 21.56% | 4,695 | 76.12% | 143 | 2.32% | -3,365 | -54.56% | 6,168 |
Montezuma | 4,542 | 36.87% | 7,401 | 60.08% | 375 | 3.05% | -2,859 | -23.21% | 12,318 |
Montrose | 6,138 | 30.49% | 13,552 | 67.32% | 440 | 2.19% | -7,414 | -36.83% | 20,130 |
Morgan | 3,912 | 36.30% | 6,602 | 61.26% | 263 | 2.44% | -2,690 | -24.96% | 10,777 |
Otero | 3,647 | 44.52% | 4,382 | 53.49% | 163 | 1.99% | -735 | -8.97% | 8,192 |
Ouray | 1,646 | 51.41% | 1,481 | 46.25% | 75 | 2.34% | 165 | 5.16% | 3,202 |
Park | 3,862 | 41.23% | 5,236 | 55.90% | 268 | 2.87% | -1,374 | -14.67% | 9,366 |
Phillips | 588 | 25.96% | 1,637 | 72.27% | 40 | 1.77% | -1,049 | -46.31% | 2,265 |
Pitkin | 6,849 | 67.98% | 3,024 | 30.01% | 202 | 2.01% | 3,825 | 37.97% | 10,075 |
Prowers | 1,519 | 31.24% | 3,230 | 66.42% | 114 | 2.34% | -1,711 | -35.18% | 4,863 |
Pueblo | 42,551 | 55.68% | 31,894 | 41.74% | 1,974 | 2.58% | 10,657 | 13.94% | 76,419 |
Rio Blanco | 568 | 16.86% | 2,724 | 80.85% | 77 | 2.29% | -2,156 | -63.99% | 3,369 |
Rio Grande | 2,478 | 44.79% | 2,918 | 52.74% | 137 | 2.47% | -440 | -7.95% | 5,533 |
Routt | 7,547 | 56.67% | 5,469 | 41.07% | 301 | 2.26% | 2,078 | 15.60% | 13,317 |
Saguache | 1,865 | 63.61% | 964 | 32.88% | 103 | 3.51% | 901 | 30.73% | 2,932 |
San Juan | 266 | 52.57% | 212 | 41.90% | 28 | 5.53% | 54 | 10.67% | 506 |
San Miguel | 2,992 | 70.30% | 1,154 | 27.11% | 110 | 2.59% | 1,838 | 43.19% | 4,256 |
Sedgwick | 419 | 31.32% | 881 | 65.84% | 38 | 2.84% | -462 | -34.52% | 1,338 |
Summit | 9,347 | 61.04% | 5,571 | 36.38% | 394 | 2.58% | 3,776 | 24.66% | 15,312 |
Teller | 4,333 | 32.16% | 8,702 | 64.59% | 438 | 3.25% | -4,369 | -32.43% | 13,473 |
Washington | 468 | 18.06% | 2,076 | 80.12% | 47 | 1.82% | -1,608 | -62.06% | 2,591 |
Weld | 49,050 | 42.18% | 63,775 | 54.84% | 3,466 | 2.98% | -14,725 | -12.66% | 116,291 |
Yuma | 987 | 21.56% | 3,490 | 76.25% | 100 | 2.19% | -2,503 | -54.69% | 4,577 |
Total | 1,323,102 | 51.45% | 1,185,243 | 46.09% | 63,501 | 2.47% | 137,859 | 5.36% | 2,571,846 |
Obama won 4 of 7 congressional districts including one held by a Republican. [6]
District | Romney | Obama | Representative |
---|---|---|---|
1st | 28.83% | 69% | Diana DeGette |
2nd | 39.51% | 57.92% | Jared Polis |
3rd | 51.8% | 45.77% | Scott Tipton |
4th | 58.5% | 39.22% | Cory Gardner |
5th | 59.12% | 38.3% | Doug Lamborn |
6th | 46.5% | 51.56% | Mike Coffman |
7th | 41.26% | 56.09% | Ed Perlmutter |
The 2012 United States presidential election was the 57th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, incumbent Vice President Joe Biden, were re-elected to a second term. They defeated the Republican ticket of former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
The following is a timeline of major events leading up to the United States presidential election of 2012. The election was the 57th quadrennial United States presidential election held on November 6, 2012.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Iowa took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Iowa voters chose six electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Nevada took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. State voters chose six electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Minnesota took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. State voters chose ten electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Michigan took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Voters chose 16 electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Washington took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Washington voters chose 12 electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Indiana took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election, in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Indiana voters chose 11 electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney and his running mate, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan. Romney and Ryan carried Indiana with 54.13% of the popular vote to the Democratic ticket's 43.93%, thus winning the state's 11 electoral votes.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Massachusetts took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Massachusetts voters chose 11 electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Mississippi took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 general election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Mississippi voters chose six electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 2012 United States presidential election in New Mexico took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. This was the 25th U.S. presidential election in which New Mexico participated. New Mexico voters chose five electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Idaho took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Idaho voters chose four electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan. Prior to the election, 17 news organizations considered this a state Romney would win, or otherwise considered as a safe red state. Romney and Ryan carried Idaho with 64.09% of the popular vote to Obama's and Biden's 32.40%, thus winning the state's four electoral votes. Romney's victory in Idaho made it his fourth strongest state in the 2012 election after Utah, Wyoming and Oklahoma. He improved on McCain's performance in 2008, expanding his margin from 25.3% to 31.69% and flipping Teton County which had previously voted for Obama.
The 2012 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 general election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. North Carolina voters chose 15 electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Ohio took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Ohio voters chose 18 electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan. This election continued Ohio's bellwether streak, as the state voted for the winner of the presidency in every election from 1964 to 2016.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. The primary election to select the Democratic and Republican candidates had been held on April 24, 2012. Pennsylvania voters chose 20 electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan. Pennsylvania's electoral vote number was a reduction from the 2008 delegation, which had 21 electors. This change was due to reapportionment following the 2010 United States Census. Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes are allotted on a winner-take-all basis.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Utah took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Utah voters chose six electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Kansas took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Kansas voters chose six electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan. Romney and Ryan carried the state with 59.59 percent of the popular vote to Obama's and Biden's 38.00 percent, thus winning the state's six electoral votes.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Alabama took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 general election, in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Alabama voters chose nine electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Alaska took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Alaska voters chose three electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 2012 United States presidential election in North Dakota took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. North Dakota voters chose three electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.