2012 United States presidential election in Colorado

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2012 United States presidential election in Colorado
Flag of Colorado.svg
←  2008 November 6, 2012 2016  →
Turnout71.17% Decrease2.svg [1]
  President Barack Obama, 2012 portrait crop.jpg Mitt Romney by Gage Skidmore 6 cropped.jpg
Nominee Barack Obama Mitt Romney
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Illinois Massachusetts
Running mate Joe Biden Paul Ryan
Electoral vote90
Popular vote1,323,1021,185,243
Percentage51.48%46.12%
Colorado Presidential Election Results 2012.svg
CO-16-pres-districts.svg
President before election

Barack Obama
Democratic

Elected President

Barack Obama
Democratic

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, U.S. Representative 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]

Contents

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 and the first time since 1964 that a sitting Democratic president carried Colorado. This was the first time since 1964 that Democrats carried a majority of the state's congressional districts. As of the 2024 presidential election, this is the last election in which Conejos, Huerfano, and Las Animas counties have voted for the Democratic candidate.

Caucuses

Democratic caucuses

Incumbent President Barack Obama ran unopposed in the Colorado Democratic caucuses.

Republican caucuses

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.

General election

Ballot access

On the campaign trail, President Obama watches as graduates toss their hats during the United States Air Force Academy commencement ceremony at Falcon Stadium, USAF Academy in Colorado Springs, May 23, 2012. Obama on May 23, 2012.jpg
On the campaign trail, President Obama watches as graduates toss their hats during the United States Air Force Academy commencement ceremony at Falcon Stadium, USAF Academy in Colorado Springs, May 23, 2012.

Polling

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. Romney gained momentum in October, and the race 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]

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
Huffington Post [6] Safe DNovember 6, 2012
CNN [7] TossupNovember 6, 2012
New York Times [8] Lean DNovember 6, 2012
Washington Post [9] TossupNovember 6, 2012
RealClearPolitics [10] TossupNovember 6, 2012
Sabato's Crystal Ball [11] Lean DNovember 5, 2012
FiveThirtyEight [12] Likely DNovember 6, 2012

Results

2012 United States presidential election in Colorado
PartyCandidateRunning mateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
Democratic Barack Obama (incumbent) Joe Biden (incumbent)1,323,10251.45%9
Republican Mitt Romney Paul Ryan 1,185,24346.09%0
Libertarian Gary Johnson Jim Gray 35,5451.38%0
Green Jill Stein Cheri Honkala 7,5080.29%0
Constitution Virgil Goode Jim Clymer6,2340.24%0
Peace & Freedom Roseanne Barr Cindy Sheehan 5,0590.20%0
UnaffiliatedJill Ann ReedTom Cary2,5890.10%0
Justice Rocky Anderson Luis J. Rodriguez 1,2600.05%0
America's Party Thomas Hoefling Jonathan D. Ellis6790.03%0
Socialism and Liberation Gloria La Riva Filberto Ramirez Jr.3170.01%0
Socialist Stewart Alexander Alex Mendoza 3080.01%0
American Third Position Merlin Miller Harry Bertram2660.01%0
Socialist Workers James Harris Alyson Kennedy 1920.01%0
Socialist Equality Jerry White Phyllis Scherrer1890.01%0
OthersOthers7960.03%0
Totals2,569,518100.00%9

By county

CountyBarack Obama
Democratic		Mitt Romney
Republican		Various candidates
Other parties		MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %# %
Adams 100,64956.90%70,97240.12%5,2722.98%29,67716.78%176,893
Alamosa 3,81156.75%2,70540.28%1992.97%1,10616.47%6,715
Arapahoe 153,90553.90%125,58843.99%6,0232.11%28,3179.91%285,516
Archuleta 2,67939.78%3,87257.50%1832.72%-1,193-17.72%6,734
Baca 46722.17%1,55974.03%803.80%-1,092-51.86%2,106
Bent 81541.97%1,07555.36%522.67%-260-13.39%1,942
Boulder 125,09169.69%49,98127.84%4,4272.47%75,11041.85%179,499
Broomfield 16,96651.62%15,00845.67%8912.71%1,9585.95%32,865
Chaffee 5,08648.61%5,07048.46%3062.93%160.15%10,462
Cheyenne 17215.74%88981.34%322.92%-717-65.60%1,093
Clear Creek 3,11954.31%2,43042.31%1943.38%68912.00%5,743
Conejos 2,21353.96%1,83544.75%531.29%3789.21%4,101
Costilla 1,34072.95%44624.28%512.77%89448.67%1,837
Crowley 53535.62%92461.52%432.86%-389-25.90%1,502
Custer 86831.97%1,78865.86%592.17%-920-33.89%2,715
Delta 4,62229.02%10,91568.54%3882.44%-6,293-39.52%15,925
Denver 222,01873.41%73,11124.18%7,2892.41%148,90749.23%302,418
Dolores 33426.83%85969.00%524.17%-525-42.17%1,245
Douglas 61,09436.35%104,39762.11%2,5931.54%-43,303-25.76%168,084
Eagle 12,79256.43%9,41141.52%4652.05%3,38114.91%22,668
El Paso 111,81938.54%170,95258.91%7,4042.55%-59,133-20.37%290,175
Elbert 3,60325.41%10,26672.41%3092.18%-6,663-47.00%14,178
Fremont 6,70432.84%13,17464.53%5382.63%-6,470-31.69%20,416
Garfield 11,30546.32%12,53551.36%5682.32%-1,230-5.04%24,408
Gilpin 1,89256.68%1,34640.32%1003.00%54616.36%3,338
Grand 3,68445.00%4,25351.95%2503.05%-569-6.95%8,187
Gunnison 5,04458.20%3,34138.55%2823.25%1,70319.65%8,667
Hinsdale 22938.17%35358.83%183.00%-124-20.66%600
Huerfano 1,95352.46%1,64644.21%1243.33%3078.25%3,723
Jackson 21625.47%60070.75%323.78%-384-45.28%848
Jefferson 159,29651.21%144,19746.36%7,5592.43%15,0994.85%311,052
Kiowa 11814.37%67782.46%263.17%-559-68.09%821
Kit Carson 83822.64%2,78575.23%792.13%-1,947-52.59%3,702
La Plata 15,48952.85%12,79443.65%1,0253.50%2,6959.20%29,308
Lake 1,83960.49%1,09836.12%1033.39%74124.37%3,040
Larimer 92,74751.47%82,37645.72%5,0572.81%10,3715.75%180,180
Las Animas 3,44550.20%3,26347.55%1542.25%1822.65%6,862
Lincoln 55224.14%1,68773.76%482.10%-1,135-49.62%2,287
Logan 2,71229.72%6,17967.72%2332.56%-3,467-38.00%9,124
Mesa 23,84632.69%47,47265.08%1,6292.23%-23,626-32.39%72,947
Mineral 29144.77%34452.92%152.31%-53-8.15%650
Moffat 1,33021.56%4,69576.12%1432.32%-3,365-54.56%6,168
Montezuma 4,54236.87%7,40160.08%3753.05%-2,859-23.21%12,318
Montrose 6,13830.49%13,55267.32%4402.19%-7,414-36.83%20,130
Morgan 3,91236.30%6,60261.26%2632.44%-2,690-24.96%10,777
Otero 3,64744.52%4,38253.49%1631.99%-735-8.97%8,192
Ouray 1,64651.41%1,48146.25%752.34%1655.16%3,202
Park 3,86241.23%5,23655.90%2682.87%-1,374-14.67%9,366
Phillips 58825.96%1,63772.27%401.77%-1,049-46.31%2,265
Pitkin 6,84967.98%3,02430.01%2022.01%3,82537.97%10,075
Prowers 1,51931.24%3,23066.42%1142.34%-1,711-35.18%4,863
Pueblo 42,55155.68%31,89441.74%1,9742.58%10,65713.94%76,419
Rio Blanco 56816.86%2,72480.85%772.29%-2,156-63.99%3,369
Rio Grande 2,47844.79%2,91852.74%1372.47%-440-7.95%5,533
Routt 7,54756.67%5,46941.07%3012.26%2,07815.60%13,317
Saguache 1,86563.61%96432.88%1033.51%90130.73%2,932
San Juan 26652.57%21241.90%285.53%5410.67%506
San Miguel 2,99270.30%1,15427.11%1102.59%1,83843.19%4,256
Sedgwick 41931.32%88165.84%382.84%-462-34.52%1,338
Summit 9,34761.04%5,57136.38%3942.58%3,77624.66%15,312
Teller 4,33332.16%8,70264.59%4383.25%-4,369-32.43%13,473
Washington 46818.06%2,07680.12%471.82%-1,608-62.06%2,591
Weld 49,05042.18%63,77554.84%3,4662.98%-14,725-12.66%116,291
Yuma 98721.56%3,49076.25%1002.19%-2,503-54.69%4,577
Total1,323,10251.45%1,185,24346.09%63,5012.47%137,8595.36%2,571,846

By congressional district

Obama won 4 of 7 congressional districts including one held by a Republican. [13]

DistrictRomneyObamaRepresentative
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

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Election Results 2012" (PDF). sos.state.co.us. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  2. ↑ "2012 General Election". Colorado Department of State. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
  3. ↑ "2012 - Colorado: Romney vs. Obama | RealClearPolitics".
  4. ↑ "Pundit accountability: The official 2012 election prediction thread - The Washington Post". The Washington Post .
  5. ↑ "2012 - Colorado: Romney vs. Obama | RealClearPolitics".
  6. ↑ "Huffington Post Election Dashboard". HuffPost . Archived from the original on August 13, 2013.
  7. ↑ "America's Choice 2012 Election Center: CNN Electoral Map". CNN . Archived from the original on January 19, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Election 2012 - The Electoral Map: Building a Path to Victory". The New York Times . Archived from the original on July 8, 2012.
  9. ↑ "2012 Presidential Election Results" . The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 26, 2012.
  10. ↑ "RealClearPolitics - 2012 Election Maps - Battle for White House". Archived from the original on June 8, 2011.
  11. ↑ "PROJECTION: OBAMA WILL LIKELY WIN SECOND TERM".
  12. ↑ "Nate Silver's political calculations predict 2012 election outcome".
  13. ↑ "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts".
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