2012 United States presidential election in Georgia

2012 United States presidential election in Georgia

← 2008 November 6, 2012 2016 →
Turnout61.9%[1] Increase 10.1 pp
 
Nominee Mitt Romney Barack Obama
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Massachusetts Illinois
Running mate Paul Ryan Joe Biden
Electoral vote 16 0
Popular vote 2,078,688 1,773,827
Percentage 53.30% 45.48%


President before election

Barack Obama
Democratic

Elected President

Barack Obama
Democratic

The 2012 United States presidential election in Georgia took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 General Election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Georgia 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.

Romney won Georgia by a 7.82% margin, an improvement from 2008 when John McCain won by 5.20%. Romney received 53.19% of the vote to Obama's 45.39%. Early County flipped from supporting the Republican candidate to the Democratic candidate, while Chattahoochee County flipped from the Democratic column to the Republican column.

Obama remains the only Democrat to ever win two terms in office without carrying Georgia either time. Georgia is also one of only two states that voted against Obama in both 2008 and 2012 that his vice president Joe Biden would go on to win in 2020, the other being Arizona.

As of 2020, this is the last time a Democratic presidential nominee won the rural Black Belt counties of Baker, Dooly, Early, Peach, Quitman, and Twiggs, and the last time that the suburban Atlanta counties of Gwinnett, Henry, and Cobb would vote Republican in a presidential race. This is also the last time that Georgia has backed the losing candidate in a presidential election and the last time a Democrat won the presidency without winning Georgia. Obama became the first Democrat president since Martin Van Buren to never win Georgia in two elections.

Primary elections

[edit]

Democratic primary

[edit]

Incumbent president Barack Obama was unopposed in the Georgia primary, therefore winning all of the state's delegates.

Republican primary

[edit]
Georgia Republican primary, 2012

← 2008 March 6, 2012 (2012-03-06) 2016 →
 
Candidate Newt Gingrich Mitt Romney
Home state Georgia Massachusetts
Delegate count 52 21
Popular vote 425,395 233,611
Percentage 47.2% 25.9%

 
Candidate Rick Santorum Ron Paul
Home state Pennsylvania Texas
Delegate count 3 0
Popular vote 176,259 59,100
Percentage 19.6% 6.6%

The 2012 Georgia Republican primary took place on March 6, 2012.[2][3]

Georgia has 76 delegates to the Republic National Convention. The three super delegates are awarded winner-take-all to the statewide winner. Thirty-one delegates are awarded proportionately among candidates winning at least 20% of the vote statewide. Another 42 delegates are allocated by congressional district, 3 delegates for each district. If a candidate gets a majority in a district, he wins all 3 delegates. If no one get majority, the delegates are split 2 and 1 between the top two candidates respectively.[4]

Georgia Republican primary, 2012[5]
Candidate Votes Percentage Estimated national delegates [6]
Newt Gingrich 425,395 47.2% 54
Mitt Romney 233,611 25.9% 19
Rick Santorum 176,259 19.6% 3
Ron Paul 59,100 6.6% 0
Jon Huntsman Jr. 1,813 0.2% 0
Michele Bachmann 1,714 0.2% 0
Rick Perry 1,696 0.2% 0
Buddy Roemer 1,142 0.13% 0
Gary Johnson 740 0.08% 0
Undecided or Other 0
Totals 901,470 100.0% 76
Key: Withdrew prior to contest.

General election

[edit]

Predictions

[edit]
Source Ranking As of
Huffington Post[7] Safe R November 6, 2012
CNN[8] Safe R November 6, 2012
New York Times[9] Safe R November 6, 2012
Washington Post[10] Safe R November 6, 2012
RealClearPolitics[11] Solid R November 6, 2012
Sabato's Crystal Ball[12] Solid R November 5, 2012
FiveThirtyEight[13] Solid R November 6, 2012

Candidate ballot access

[edit]
  • Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan, Republican
  • Barack Obama/Joseph Biden, Democratic
  • Gary Johnson/James P. Gray, Libertarian

Write-in candidate access:

  • Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala, Green
  • Virgil Goode/Jim Clymer, Constitution
  • Rocky Anderson/Luis J. Rodriguez, Justice

Results

[edit]

Out of a total of 6,066,961 registered voters at the time of the presidential election, turnout for the general election was 3,908,369, or 64.42% of registered voters.

United States presidential election in Georgia, 2012[14]
Party Candidate Running mate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Mitt Romney Paul Ryan 2,078,688 53.19% 16
Democratic Barack Obama (incumbent) Joe Biden (incumbent) 1,773,827 45.39% 0
Libertarian Gary Johnson Jim Gray 45,324 1.16% 0
Green (Write-in) Jill Stein Cheri Honkala 1,516 0.04% 0
Constitution (Write-in) Virgil Goode Jim Clymer 432 0.01% 0
Justice (Write-in) Rocky Anderson Luis J. Rodriguez 154 0.00% 0
Other Write-ins Other Write-ins 109 0.00% 0
Totals 3,900,050 100.00% 16
Voter turnout (registered voters) 71.36%

By county

[edit]
County Mitt Romney
Republican
Barack Obama
Democratic
Various candidates
Other parties
Margin Total
# % # % # % # %
Appling 5,233 73.78% 1,758 24.78% 102 1.44% 3,475 49.00% 7,093
Atkinson 1,938 66.67% 930 31.99% 39 1.34% 1,008 34.68% 2,907
Bacon 3,093 78.58% 791 20.10% 52 1.32% 2,302 58.48% 3,936
Baker 785 49.34% 794 49.91% 12 0.75% -9 -0.57% 1,591
Baldwin 7,589 46.64% 8,483 52.14% 198 1.22% -894 -5.50% 16,270
Banks 5,354 86.30% 780 12.57% 70 1.13% 4,574 73.73% 6,204
Barrow 18,725 74.10% 6,028 23.85% 517 2.05% 12,697 50.25% 25,270
Bartow 26,876 74.87% 8,396 23.39% 625 1.74% 18,480 51.48% 35,897
Ben Hill 3,396 56.88% 2,512 42.08% 62 1.04% 884 14.80% 5,970
Berrien 4,843 77.81% 1,273 20.45% 108 1.74% 3,570 57.36% 6,224
Bibb 25,623 39.54% 38,585 59.54% 595 0.92% -12,962 -20.00% 64,803
Bleckley 3,587 72.91% 1,269 25.79% 64 1.30% 2,318 47.12% 4,920
Brantley 4,964 82.46% 939 15.60% 117 1.94% 4,025 66.86% 6,020
Brooks 3,554 52.62% 3,138 46.46% 62 0.92% 416 6.16% 6,754
Bryan 9,560 70.94% 3,707 27.51% 209 1.55% 5,853 43.43% 13,476
Bulloch 14,174 58.73% 9,593 39.75% 366 1.52% 4,581 18.98% 24,133
Burke 4,301 43.92% 5,405 55.19% 87 0.89% -1,104 -11.27% 9,793
Butts 6,306 67.09% 2,968 31.57% 126 1.34% 3,338 35.52% 9,400
Calhoun 883 40.34% 1,298 59.30% 8 0.36% -415 -18.96% 2,189
Camden 11,343 62.84% 6,377 35.33% 330 1.83% 4,966 27.51% 18,050
Candler 2,344 66.38% 1,157 32.77% 30 0.85% 1,187 33.61% 3,531
Carroll 28,280 67.86% 12,688 30.45% 704 1.69% 15,592 37.41% 41,672
Catoosa 17,858 75.06% 5,365 22.55% 568 2.39% 12,493 52.51% 23,791
Charlton 2,527 67.12% 1,197 31.79% 41 1.09% 1,330 35.33% 3,765
Chatham 47,204 43.38% 60,246 55.36% 1,371 1.26% -13,042 -11.98% 108,821
Chattahoochee 735 49.23% 729 48.83% 29 1.94% 6 0.40% 1,493
Chattooga 5,452 69.28% 2,232 28.36% 185 2.36% 3,220 40.92% 7,869
Cherokee 76,514 77.73% 19,841 20.16% 2,084 2.11% 56,673 57.57% 98,439
Clarke 13,815 34.10% 25,431 62.77% 1,269 3.13% -11,616 -28.67% 40,515
Clay 537 38.28% 862 61.44% 4 0.28% -325 -23.16% 1,403
Clayton 14,164 14.72% 81,479 84.67% 587 0.61% -67,315 -69.95% 96,230
Clinch 1,598 64.57% 852 34.42% 25 1.01% 746 30.15% 2,475
Cobb 171,722 55.25% 133,124 42.83% 5,989 1.92% 38,598 12.42% 310,835
Coffee 9,248 63.89% 5,057 34.94% 169 1.17% 4,191 28.95% 14,474
Colquitt 9,243 69.25% 3,973 29.77% 131 0.98% 5,270 39.48% 13,347
Columbia 41,765 70.70% 16,451 27.85% 855 1.45% 25,314 42.85% 59,071
Cook 3,935 65.14% 2,042 33.80% 64 1.06% 1,893 31.34% 6,041
Coweta 39,653 71.17% 15,168 27.22% 897 1.61% 24,485 43.95% 55,718
Crawford 3,368 65.47% 1,706 33.16% 70 1.37% 1,662 32.31% 5,144
Crisp 4,182 56.51% 3,167 42.80% 51 0.69% 1,015 13.71% 7,400
Dade 4,471 73.94% 1,411 23.33% 165 2.73% 3,060 50.61% 6,047
Dawson 8,847 86.19% 1,241 12.09% 176 1.72% 7,606 74.10% 10,264
Decatur 5,824 55.47% 4,591 43.72% 85 0.81% 1,233 11.75% 10,500
DeKalb 64,392 20.98% 238,224 77.63% 4,242 1.39% -173,832 -56.65% 306,858
Dodge 5,214 67.24% 2,442 31.49% 98 1.27% 2,772 35.75% 7,754
Dooly 1,985 46.14% 2,285 53.11% 32 0.75% -300 -6.97% 4,302
Dougherty 11,449 30.15% 26,295 69.24% 231 0.61% -14,846 -39.09% 37,975
Douglas 26,241 47.38% 28,441 51.36% 697 1.26% -2,200 -3.98% 55,379
Early 2,557 47.71% 2,765 51.60% 37 0.69% -208 -3.89% 5,359
Echols 917 82.99% 173 15.66% 15 1.35% 744 67.33% 1,105
Effingham 15,596 74.79% 4,947 23.72% 311 1.49% 10,649 51.07% 20,854
Elbert 4,859 59.58% 3,181 39.00% 116 1.42% 1,678 20.58% 8,156
Emanuel 5,100 63.05% 2,927 36.18% 62 0.77% 2,173 26.87% 8,089
Evans 2,268 63.62% 1,268 35.57% 29 0.81% 1,000 28.05% 3,565
Fannin 7,857 78.10% 2,028 20.16% 175 1.74% 5,829 57.94% 10,060
Fayette 38,075 64.83% 19,736 33.61% 917 1.56% 18,339 31.22% 58,728
Floyd 22,733 69.04% 9,640 29.28% 554 1.68% 13,093 39.76% 32,927
Forsyth 65,908 80.47% 14,571 17.79% 1,421 1.74% 51,337 62.68% 81,900
Franklin 6,114 78.62% 1,499 19.27% 164 2.11% 4,615 59.35% 7,777
Fulton 137,124 34.42% 255,470 64.13% 5,752 1.45% -118,346 -29.71% 398,346
Gilmer 8,926 80.76% 1,958 17.71% 169 1.53% 6,968 63.05% 11,053
Glascock 1,135 84.96% 176 13.17% 25 1.87% 959 71.79% 1,336
Glynn 20,893 62.95% 11,950 36.00% 348 1.05% 8,943 26.95% 33,191
Gordon 13,197 77.91% 3,440 20.31% 302 1.78% 9,757 57.60% 16,939
Grady 5,924 62.93% 3,419 36.32% 70 0.75% 2,505 26.61% 9,413
Greene 5,071 60.90% 3,201 38.44% 55 0.66% 1,870 22.46% 8,327
Gwinnett 159,855 53.76% 132,509 44.56% 4,992 1.68% 27,346 9.20% 297,356
Habersham 12,166 82.90% 2,301 15.68% 209 1.42% 9,865 67.22% 14,676
Hall 47,481 77.19% 12,999 21.13% 1,032 1.68% 34,482 56.06% 61,512
Hancock 769 18.80% 3,308 80.88% 13 0.32% -2,539 -62.08% 4,090
Haralson 8,446 81.16% 1,789 17.19% 172 1.65% 6,657 63.97% 10,407
Harris 11,197 72.14% 4,145 26.71% 179 1.15% 7,052 45.43% 15,521
Hart 6,517 68.39% 2,870 30.12% 142 1.49% 3,647 38.27% 9,529
Heard 3,160 75.63% 948 22.69% 70 1.68% 2,212 52.94% 4,178
Henry 46,774 51.10% 43,761 47.81% 996 1.09% 3,013 3.29% 91,531
Houston 34,662 59.58% 22,702 39.02% 811 1.40% 11,960 20.56% 58,175
Irwin 2,538 68.34% 1,141 30.72% 35 0.94% 1,397 37.62% 3,714
Jackson 19,135 80.59% 4,238 17.85% 372 1.56% 14,897 62.74% 23,745
Jasper 4,136 68.45% 1,845 30.54% 61 1.01% 2,291 37.91% 6,042
Jeff Davis 3,996 74.85% 1,275 23.88% 68 1.27% 2,721 50.97% 5,339
Jefferson 2,999 41.08% 4,261 58.36% 41 0.56% -1,262 -17.28% 7,301
Jenkins 1,887 55.60% 1,488 43.84% 19 0.56% 399 11.76% 3,394
Johnson 2,440 64.62% 1,305 34.56% 31 0.82% 1,135 30.06% 3,776
Jones 7,744 63.90% 4,274 35.27% 101 0.83% 3,470 28.63% 12,119
Lamar 4,899 64.36% 2,602 34.18% 111 1.46% 2,297 30.18% 7,612
Lanier 1,820 61.11% 1,114 37.41% 44 1.48% 706 23.70% 2,978
Laurens 11,950 60.85% 7,513 38.26% 176 0.89% 4,437 22.59% 19,639
Lee 10,314 75.58% 3,196 23.42% 136 1.00% 7,118 52.16% 13,646
Liberty 5,565 34.36% 10,457 64.57% 173 1.07% -4,892 -30.21% 16,195
Lincoln 2,807 63.36% 1,586 35.80% 37 0.84% 1,221 27.56% 4,430
Long 2,306 60.45% 1,442 37.80% 67 1.75% 864 22.65% 3,815
Lowndes 21,327 54.38% 17,470 44.54% 424 1.08% 3,857 9.84% 39,221
Lumpkin 8,647 78.98% 2,055 18.77% 246 2.25% 6,592 60.21% 10,948
Macon 1,545 32.28% 3,211 67.09% 30 0.63% -1,666 -34.81% 4,786
Madison 8,443 75.84% 2,494 22.40% 196 1.76% 5,949 53.44% 11,133
Marion 1,733 54.51% 1,412 44.42% 34 1.07% 321 10.09% 3,179
McDuffie 5,475 57.00% 4,044 42.10% 86 0.90% 1,431 14.90% 9,605
McIntosh 3,409 53.65% 2,864 45.07% 81 1.28% 545 8.58% 6,354
Meriwether 4,856 52.36% 4,331 46.70% 87 0.94% 525 5.66% 9,274
Miller 1,905 68.53% 852 30.65% 23 0.82% 1,053 37.88% 2,780
Mitchell 4,155 50.18% 4,081 49.28% 45 0.54% 74 0.90% 8,281
Monroe 8,361 68.00% 3,785 30.78% 149 1.22% 4,576 37.22% 12,295
Montgomery 2,662 69.41% 1,135 29.60% 38 0.99% 1,527 39.81% 3,835
Morgan 6,186 68.42% 2,753 30.45% 102 1.13% 3,433 37.97% 9,041
Murray 8,443 75.02% 2,542 22.59% 270 2.39% 5,901 52.43% 11,255
Muscogee 27,510 38.90% 42,573 60.20% 632 0.90% -15,063 -21.30% 70,715
Newton 20,982 48.45% 21,851 50.45% 476 1.10% -869 -2.00% 43,309
Oconee 13,098 73.34% 4,421 24.76% 340 1.90% 8,677 48.58% 17,859
Oglethorpe 4,251 67.64% 1,914 30.45% 120 1.91% 2,337 37.19% 6,285
Paulding 40,846 70.98% 15,825 27.50% 872 1.52% 25,021 43.48% 57,543
Peach 5,287 45.83% 6,148 53.29% 102 0.88% -861 -7.46% 11,537
Pickens 10,547 83.03% 1,975 15.55% 180 1.42% 8,572 67.48% 12,702
Pierce 5,667 82.67% 1,124 16.40% 64 0.93% 4,543 66.27% 6,855
Pike 6,668 81.93% 1,356 16.66% 115 1.41% 5,312 65.27% 8,139
Polk 9,811 71.89% 3,615 26.49% 222 1.62% 6,196 45.40% 13,648
Pulaski 2,444 66.32% 1,219 33.08% 22 0.60% 1,225 33.24% 3,685
Putnam 6,215 67.34% 2,926 31.70% 88 0.96% 3,289 35.64% 9,229
Quitman 510 45.21% 612 54.26% 6 0.53% -102 -9.05% 1,128
Rabun 5,754 77.08% 1,559 20.88% 152 2.04% 4,195 56.20% 7,465
Randolph 1,271 41.54% 1,770 57.84% 19 0.62% -499 -16.30% 3,060
Richmond 25,845 32.64% 52,560 66.39% 769 0.97% -26,715 -33.75% 79,174
Rockdale 15,716 41.19% 22,023 57.72% 417 1.09% -6,307 -16.53% 38,156
Schley 1,286 73.40% 448 25.57% 18 1.03% 838 47.83% 1,752
Screven 3,287 53.79% 2,774 45.39% 50 0.82% 513 8.40% 6,111
Seminole 2,245 59.44% 1,478 39.13% 54 1.43% 767 20.31% 3,777
Spalding 14,911 59.31% 9,898 39.37% 330 1.32% 5,013 19.94% 25,139
Stephens 7,221 75.74% 2,131 22.35% 182 1.91% 5,090 53.39% 9,534
Stewart 745 35.89% 1,323 63.73% 8 0.38% -578 -27.84% 2,076
Sumter 5,378 45.36% 6,375 53.77% 103 0.87% -997 -8.41% 11,856
Talbot 1,202 34.41% 2,265 64.84% 26 0.75% -1,063 -30.43% 3,493
Taliaferro 323 33.54% 636 66.04% 4 0.42% -313 -32.50% 963
Tattnall 4,706 70.48% 1,897 28.41% 74 1.11% 2,809 42.07% 6,677
Taylor 1,948 55.03% 1,572 44.41% 20 0.56% 376 10.62% 3,540
Telfair 2,480 57.17% 1,805 41.61% 53 1.22% 675 15.56% 4,338
Terrell 1,834 41.62% 2,544 57.73% 29 0.65% -710 -16.11% 4,407
Thomas 11,156 58.74% 7,653 40.30% 183 0.96% 3,503 18.44% 18,992
Tift 9,185 65.88% 4,660 33.42% 97 0.70% 4,525 32.46% 13,942
Toombs 6,524 69.72% 2,746 29.35% 87 0.93% 3,778 40.37% 9,357
Towns 4,876 78.09% 1,273 20.39% 95 1.52% 3,603 57.70% 6,244
Treutlen 1,652 60.05% 1,074 39.04% 25 0.91% 578 21.01% 2,751
Troup 15,179 58.30% 10,547 40.51% 309 1.19% 4,632 17.79% 26,035
Turner 2,028 56.85% 1,510 42.33% 29 0.82% 518 14.52% 3,567
Twiggs 1,907 45.35% 2,270 53.98% 28 0.67% -363 -8.63% 4,205
Union 8,773 78.97% 2,139 19.25% 197 1.78% 6,634 59.72% 11,109
Upson 7,230 64.10% 3,959 35.10% 90 0.80% 3,271 29.00% 11,279
Walker 16,247 73.86% 5,274 23.98% 475 2.16% 10,973 49.88% 21,996
Walton 29,036 77.07% 8,148 21.63% 493 1.30% 20,888 55.44% 37,677
Ware 7,941 66.44% 3,900 32.63% 112 0.93% 4,041 33.81% 11,953
Warren 990 39.18% 1,529 60.51% 8 0.31% -539 -21.33% 2,527
Washington 4,035 45.76% 4,714 53.46% 68 0.78% -679 -7.70% 8,817
Wayne 7,557 73.45% 2,596 25.23% 135 1.32% 4,961 48.22% 10,288
Webster 601 50.59% 582 48.99% 5 0.42% 19 1.60% 1,188
Wheeler 1,366 63.09% 772 35.66% 27 1.25% 594 27.43% 2,165
White 8,651 82.21% 1,671 15.88% 201 1.91% 6,980 66.33% 10,523
Whitfield 19,305 71.58% 7,210 26.74% 453 1.68% 12,095 44.84% 26,968
Wilcox 2,053 65.55% 1,060 33.84% 19 0.61% 993 31.71% 3,132
Wilkes 2,635 55.30% 2,087 43.80% 43 0.90% 548 11.50% 4,765
Wilkinson 2,246 50.40% 2,181 48.95% 29 0.65% 65 1.45% 4,456
Worth 5,869 69.57% 2,487 29.48% 80 0.95% 3,382 40.09% 8,436
Totals 2,078,688 53.19% 1,773,827 45.39% 55,854 1.43% 304,861 7.80% 3,908,369
County Flips:
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

By congressional district

[edit]

Romney won 10 of 14 congressional districts, including one that elected a Democrat.[15]

District Romney Obama Representative
1st 55.9% 43% Jack Kingston
2nd 40.8% 58.6% Sanford Bishop
3rd 65.85% 33% Lynn Westmoreland
4th 25.6% 73.6% Hank Johnson
5th 15.8% 83.1% John Lewis
6th 60.8% 37.45% Tom Price
7th 60.23% 38.32% Rob Woodall
8th 61.63% 37.48% Austin Scott
9th 78.14% 20.5% Doug Collins
10th 62.46% 36.3% Paul Broun
11th 66.9% 31.5% Phil Gingrey
12th 55.42% 43.64% John Barrow
13th 29.97% 69.24% David Scott
14th 73.21% 25.3% Tom Graves

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ ("Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2012". United States Census Bureau. May 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2021.)
  2. ^ "Primary and Caucus Printable Calendar". CNN. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  3. ^ "Presidential Primary Dates" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  4. ^ Nate Silver (March 4, 2012). "Romney Could Win Majority of Super Tuesday Delegates". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  5. ^ Official Results of the Tuesday, March 06, 2012 Presidential Preference Primary Election (PDF) (Report). Georgia Secretary of State. March 14, 2012. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  6. ^ Georgia Republican Delegation 2012 The Green Papers. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  7. ^ "Huffington Post Election Dashboard". HuffPost. Archived from the original on August 13, 2013.
  8. ^ "America's Choice 2012 Election Center: CNN Electoral Map". CNN. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013.
  9. ^ "Election 2012 - The Electoral Map: Building a Path to Victory". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012.
  10. ^ "2012 Presidential Election Results". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 26, 2012.
  11. ^ "RealClearPolitics - 2012 Election Maps - Battle for White House". Archived from the original on June 8, 2011.
  12. ^ "PROJECTION: OBAMA WILL LIKELY WIN SECOND TERM".
  13. ^ "Nate Silver's political calculations predict 2012 election outcome".
  14. ^ "Georgia Election Results". Secretary of State of Georgia. November 8, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  15. ^ "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts". Daily Kos. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
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