2012 United States presidential election in Utah

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2012 United States presidential election in Utah
Flag of Utah (2011-2024).svg
  2008 November 6, 2012 2016  
  Mitt Romney by Gage Skidmore 6 cropped.jpg President Barack Obama, 2012 portrait crop.jpg
Nominee Mitt Romney Barack Obama
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Massachusetts Illinois
Running mate Paul Ryan Joe Biden
Electoral vote60
Popular vote740,600251,813
Percentage72.55%24.67%

Utah Presidential Election Results 2012.svg
County Results
Romney
  50–60%
  60–70%
  70–80%
  80–90%
  90–100%

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.

Contents

Prior to the election, all 17 news organizations making election predictions considered this a state Romney would win, or otherwise considered as a safe red state. Alongside neighboring Wyoming & Idaho, Utah has voted for the Republican ticket in each presidential election starting 1968 and all but one starting 1952. Utah is the only state to have a majority Mormon population, benefiting Romney, the first Mormon to head a major party presidential ticket. Romney won in a landslide, carrying 72.55% of the vote to Obama's 24.67%, a margin of 47.88% or 488,787 votes, the best raw vote margin in the state's history to date. [1] He won every county in the state by margins of over 15%, except for Grand and Summit County, home to the cities of Moab and Park City, respectively. Romney flipped these counties along with Salt Lake County, where the state's largest city, Salt Lake City, is located.

With a 47.88% margin, Utah would prove to be Romney's strongest state in the 2012 election, and it would also be Romney's largest outperformance of John McCain in 2008, winning the state by almost 20 points more. [2] Romney was elected as a United States Senator from Utah six years later in 2018, having moved there in 2014. Romney's vote share in Utah was also the highest of any presidential nominee in any state since Ronald Reagan's in Utah in 1984, and remains so as of 2020.

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last time the Republican nominee won Utah with more than 60% of the vote, as well as the last time they won every county. It is also the last election in which Salt Lake County and Summit County have voted for the Republican presidential nominee and also the last time Utah has been the most Republican state in the United States. This is the last time a Republican presidential candidate won 70% of the vote in any state, as well as the last time any candidate (along with Obama in Hawaii) has won more than 70% of the vote in any state.

Primary elections

Democratic primary

Due to President Barack Obama running for reelection without serious opposition from the Democratic Party in 2012, no Democratic Primary was held in Utah.

Republican primary

2012 Utah Republican primary
Flag of Utah (2011-2024).svg
  2008 June 26, 2012 (2012-06-26)2016 
  Mitt Romney by Gage Skidmore 6 cropped.jpg Ron Paul by Gage Skidmore 3 (crop 2).jpg
Candidate Mitt Romney Ron Paul
Home state Massachusetts Texas
Delegate count400
Popular vote220,86511,209
Percentage93.07%4.72%

Utah Republican presidential primary by county, 2012.svg
Utah results by county.
  Mitt Romney

The 2012 Utah Republican presidential primary took place on 26 June 2012. [3] 37 delegates were chosen, for a total of 40 delegates to go to the national convention, all pledged to the primary winner.

In 2008, Mitt Romney received major support from the Mormon (Latter Day Saints) and other religious population and was able to carry the state with 93.07% of the vote. Romney led the polling in 2012 [4] [5] and won the primary by more than a landslide, and no other candidate could either scrape past 5% of the vote, awarding him all 40 delegates. [6]

2012 Utah Republican presidential primary [6]
CandidateVotesPercentageDelegates
America Symbol.svg Mitt Romney 220,86593.07%40
Ron Paul 11,2094.72%0
Rick Santorum 3,5411.49%0
Newt Gingrich 1,1240.47%0
Fred Karger 5780.24%0
Pledged party leaders:3
Total:237,317100.0%40
Key:Withdrew prior to contest

General election

Candidate ballot access

Write-in access:

Results

2012 United States presidential election in Utah [7]
PartyCandidateRunning mateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
Republican Mitt Romney Paul Ryan 740,60072.55%6
Democratic Barack Obama Joe Biden 251,81324.67%0
Libertarian Gary Johnson Jim Gray 12,5721.23%0
Justice Rocky Anderson Luis J. Rodriguez 5,3350.52%0
Green Jill Stein Cheri Honkala 3,8170.37%0
Constitution Virgil Goode Jim Clymer2,8710.28%0
Socialism and Liberation Gloria La Riva Filberto Ramirez Jr.3930.04%0
OthersOthers2,4140.24%0
Totals1,019,815100.00%6

Results by county

County [8] Mitt Romney
Republican
Barack Obama
Democratic
Gary Johnson
Libertarian
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal votes cast
# %# %# %# %# %
Beaver 2,17484.92%34613.52%170.66%230.90%1,82871.40%2,560
Box Elder 17,10188.11%1,98410.22%1500.77%1730.89%15,11777.89%19,408
Cache 35,03982.85%6,24414.76%5431.28%4671.10%28,79568.09%42,293
Carbon 5,09067.27%2,27530.06%881.16%1141.51%2,81537.21%7,567
Daggett 40678.08%9418.08%163.08%40.77%31260.00%520
Davis 96,86180.00%21,88918.08%1,2171.01%1,1020.91%74,97261.92%121,069
Duchesne 5,69889.32%5819.11%410.64%590.92%5,11780.21%6,379
Emery 3,77784.90%56912.79%481.08%551.23%3,20872.11%4,449
Garfield 1,83283.96%30814.12%170.78%251.15%1,52469.84%2,182
Grand 1,99650.53%1,72743.72%711.80%1563.95%2696.81%3,950
Iron 14,20084.47%2,14812.78%2021.20%2611.55%12,05271.69%16,811
Juab 3,44885.99%45111.25%270.67%842.09%2,99774.74%4,010
Kane 2,52274.81%74422.07%471.39%581.72%1,77852.74%3,371
Millard 4,47888.59%4318.53%430.85%1032.04%4,04780.06%5,055
Morgan 4,11489.49%4038.77%360.78%440.95%3,71180.72%4,597
Piute 69789.13%749.46%50.64%60.77%62379.67%782
Rich 91590.15%838.18%60.59%111.09%83281.97%1,015
Salt Lake 223,81158.26%146,14738.04%5,5211.44%8,6952.26%77,66420.22%384,174
San Juan 3,07457.92%2,13940.31%420.79%520.98%93517.61%5,307
Sanpete 8,40688.05%98010.27%690.72%920.96%7,42677.78%9,547
Sevier 7,20789.32%7389.15%560.69%680.84%6,46980.17%8,069
Summit 8,88450.49%8,07245.87%3011.71%3401.93%8124.62%17,597
Tooele 14,26873.77%4,52423.39%2321.20%3181.64%9,74450.38%19,342
Uintah 10,42189.75%9978.59%710.61%1221.05%9,42481.16%11,611
Utah 156,95088.32%17,2819.72%2,1201.19%1,3620.77%139,66978.60%177,713
Wasatch 7,22074.90%2,19122.73%900.93%1391.45%5,02952.17%9,640
Washington 44,69882.43%8,33715.37%5411.00%6501.19%36,36167.06%54,226
Wayne 1,08982.06%21516.20%60.45%171.28%87465.86%1,327
Weber 54,22471.08%19,84126.01%9491.24%1,2761.68%34,38345.07%76,290
Totals740,60072.55%251,81324.67%12,5721.23%15,8761.55%488,78747.88%1,020,861
County Flips:
Republican
Hold
Gain from Democratic Utah County Flips 2012.svg
County Flips:
Republican
  Hold
  Gain from Democratic
  1. "Historical Election Results – Utah Voter Information". voteinfo.utah.gov. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  2. "2012 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  3. "Primary and Caucus Printable Calendar". CNN . Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  4. "WSJ Poll tracker, 17-poll average". Wall Street Journal. April 10, 2012. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  5. "Poll: Utah voters believe Romney's Mormon faith hurting him less this time". Deseret News. April 3, 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Republican for president". Utah Election Results. State of Utah. Retrieved August 27, 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. "Utah Secretary of State". Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
  8. "2012 Presidential General Election Results - Utah".