2012 United States presidential election in Minnesota explained

See main article: 2012 United States presidential election.

Election Name:	2012 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Country:	Minnesota
Flag Image:	File:Flag of Minnesota (1983-2024).svg
Type:	presidential
Flag Year:	1983
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2008 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Previous Year:	2008
Next Election:	2016 United States presidential election in Minnesota
Next Year:	2016
Election Date:	November 6, 2012
Turnout:	76.42%^[1]
Image1:	President Barack Obama, 2012 portrait crop.jpg
Nominee1:	Barack Obama
Party1:	Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
Home State1:	Illinois
Running Mate1:	Joe Biden
Electoral Vote1:	10
Popular Vote1:	1,546,167
Percentage1:	52.65%
Nominee2:	Mitt Romney
Party2:	Republican Party of Minnesota
Home State2:	Massachusetts
Running Mate2:	Paul Ryan
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	1,320,225
Percentage2:	44.96%
Map Size:	350px
President
Before Election:	Barack Obama
Before Party:	Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
After Election:	Barack Obama
After Party:	Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

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.

Minnesota backed Obama for re-election, giving him 52.65% of the vote, while Republican challenger Mitt Romney took 44.96%, a victory margin of 7.69%. With ten Democratic wins in a row, Minnesota has the longest current streak of voting for the Democratic candidate in presidential elections of any state, having not voted Republican since Richard Nixon in 1972. This is the longest streak for the Democrats in history amongst non-Southern states.^[2]

However, Romney was able to significantly improve on McCain's performance in Minnesota, as he did nationally. Fourteen counties that voted for Obama in 2008 flipped and voted for the Republican Party in 2012, while many Democratic counties had a margin of victory much narrower than in 2008. Many of these counties had not voted for a Republican in decades, such as Big Stone County, as well as Pine County. Obama thus became the first Democrat to win the White House without carrying Big Stone County since Grover Cleveland in 1892.^[3] Obama also became the first ever Democrat to win the White House without carrying Red Lake County, as well as the first to do so without carrying Lincoln, Marshall, Pennington, or Polk Counties since Woodrow Wilson in 1912, the first to do so without carrying Grant or Pine Counties since Woodrow Wilson in 1916.

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last time the Democratic candidate won the following counties: Beltrami, Chippewa, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Itasca, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac qui Parle, Mahnomen, Mower, Norman, Rice, Swift, and Traverse.

Caucuses

Democratic caucuses

See main article: 2012 Democratic Party presidential primaries.

Election Name:	2012 Minnesota Democratic presidential caucus
Country:	Minnesota
Flag Image:	File:Flag of Minnesota (1983-2024).svg
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2008 Minnesota Democratic presidential caucuses
Previous Year:	2008
Next Election:	2016 Minnesota Democratic presidential caucuses
Next Year:	2016
Image1:	President Barack Obama, 2012 portrait crop.jpg
Candidate1:	Barack Obama
Color1:	1e90ff
Home State1:	Illinois
Delegate Count1:	91
Popular Vote1:	16,733
Percentage1:	96.3%
Map Size:	280px

2012 Minnesota Democratic caucus^[4]
Candidate	Votes	Percentage	Delegates
Barack Obama (incumbent)	16,733	96.30%	91
Uncommitted	643	3.70%	0

Republican caucuses

See main article: 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries.

Election Name:	2012 Minnesota Republican presidential caucus
Country:	Minnesota
Flag Image:	File:Flag of Minnesota (1983-2024).svg
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2008 Minnesota Republican presidential caucuses
Previous Year:	2008
Next Election:	2016 Minnesota Republican presidential caucuses
Next Year:	2016
Image1:	Rick Santorum by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Candidate1:	Rick Santorum
Color1:	008000
Home State1:	Pennsylvania
Popular Vote1:	21,988
Percentage1:	44.95%
Candidate2:	Ron Paul
Color2:	ffcc00
Home State2:	Texas
Popular Vote2:	13,282
Percentage2:	27.15%
Image4:	Mitt_Romney_by_Gage_Skidmore_6_cropped.jpg
Candidate4:	Mitt Romney
Color4:	ff6600
Home State4:	Massachusetts
Popular Vote4:	8,240
Percentage4:	16.85%
Image5:	Newt Gingrich by Gage Skidmore 3 (cropped).jpg
Candidate5:	Newt Gingrich
Color5:	800080
Home State5:	Georgia
Popular Vote5:	5,263
Percentage5:	10.76%
Map Size:	280px

The Republican caucuses were held on February 7, 2012.^[5] The events coincided with the Colorado Republican caucuses as well as the Missouri Republican primary. Minnesota has a total of 40 delegates, 37 of which are tied to the caucuses while 3 are unpledged RNC delegates. The non-binding straw poll was won by Rick Santorum, but Ron Paul won 32 of the 40 delegates to the Republican National Convention.

Election Reporting^[6] ^[7] ^[8] ^[9] ^[10]
Candidate	Votes		Delegates
	Total	Percentage	Total	Percentage
Rick Santorum	21,988	44.95%	2	5%
Ron Paul	13,282	27.15%	32	80%
Mitt Romney	8,240	16.85%	1	2.5%
Newt Gingrich	5,263	10.76%	0	0%
Write-in	143	0.29%	0	0%
Unpledged delegates:			5	12.5%
Total:	48,916	100.0%	40	100.0%

Conventions

There is no formal system of allocating delegates to candidates in any step of the election process. At each meeting the participants decides what the best course of action is. The state convention can vote to bind the 13 at-large delegates to a candidate. The 24 delegates elected at the CD conventions and the 3 automatic (RNC) delegates are not legally bound to vote for a candidate.

• 17 February - 31 March: BPOU conventions elect delegates to the state convention and the congressional district conventions.
• 14–21 April: Eight congressional conventions elect 3 National Convention delegates each.
• 18–19 May: State convention elect 13 National Convention delegates.^[11]

Convention Results
Candidate	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	State	Party leaders	Total
Ron Paul	2	3	3	3	3	3	1	2	12	0	32
Rick Santorum	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	2
Mitt Romney	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1
Unknown	1							1		3	5
Total	24								13	3	40

General election

Results

2012 United States presidential election in Minnesota^[12]
Party		Candidate	Running mate	Votes	Percentage	Electoral votes
	Democratic (DFL)	Barack Obama (incumbent)	Joe Biden (incumbent)	1,546,167	52.65%	10
	Republican	Mitt Romney	Paul Ryan	1,320,225	44.96%	0
	Libertarian		Jim Gray	35,098	1.20%	0
	Green	Jill Stein	Cheri Honkala	13,023	0.44%	0
	Constitution	Virgil Goode	Jim Clymer	3,722	0.13%	0
	Grassroots	Jim Carlson	George McMahon	3,149	0.11%	0
	Justice	Rocky Anderson	Luis J. Rodriguez	1,996	0.07%	0
	Constitutional Government	Dean Morstad	Josh Franke-Hyland	1,092	0.04%	0
			Maura DeLuca	1,051	0.04%	0
	Socialism and Liberation	Peta Lindsay	Yari Osorio	397	0.01%	0
	Write-Ins			10,641	0.36%	0
Totals				2,936,561	100.00%	10
Voter turnout (eligible voters)						75.74%

By county

County	Barack Obama DFL		Mitt Romney Republican		Various candidates Other parties		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%
	Aitkin		4,412		48.26%		4,533		49.58%		197		2.16%		-121		-1.32%		9,142
	Anoka		88,614		47.52%		93,430		50.11%		4,421		2.37%		-4,816		-2.59%		186,465
	Becker		6,829		41.69%		9,204		56.18%		349		2.13%		-2,375		-14.49%		16,382
	Beltrami		11,818		53.59%		9,637		43.70%		596		2.71%		2,181		9.89%		22,051
	Benton		8,173		41.66%		10,849		55.30%		597		3.04%		-2,676		-13.64%		19,619
	Big Stone		1,345		48.23%		1,385		49.66%		59		2.11%		-40		-1.43%		2,789
	Blue Earth		18,164		53.00%		14,916		43.52%		1,194		3.48%		3,248		9.48%		34,274
	Brown		5,630		40.42%		7,938		56.99%		361		2.59%		-2,308		-16.57%		13,929
	Carlton		11,389		61.78%		6,586		35.72%		461		2.50%		4,803		26.06%		18,436
	Carver		20,745		39.22%		31,155		58.90%		999		1.88%		-10,410		-19.68%		52,899
	Cass		6,858		42.49%		8,957		55.49%		326		2.02%		-2,099		-13.00%		16,141
	Chippewa		3,083		49.72%		2,967		47.85%		151		2.43%		116		1.87%		6,201
	Chisago		12,524		42.54%		16,227		55.12%		690		2.34%		-3,703		-12.58%		29,441
	Clay		15,208		52.65%		12,920		44.73%		758		2.62%		2,288		7.92%		28,886
	Clearwater		1,753		41.77%		2,359		56.21%		85		2.02%		-606		-14.44%		4,197
	Cook		1,993		59.99%		1,221		36.75%		108		3.26%		772		23.24%		3,322
	Cottonwood		2,433		41.50%		3,316		56.57%		113		1.93%		-883		-15.07%		5,862
	Crow Wing		14,760		42.27%		19,415		55.60%		745		2.13%		-4,655		-13.33%		34,920
	Dakota		116,255		50.37%		109,516		47.45%		5,050		2.18%		6,739		2.92%		230,821
	Dodge		4,487		43.45%		5,522		53.47%		318		3.08%		-1,035		-10.02%		10,327
	Douglas		8,653		41.30%		11,884		56.72%		416		1.98%		-3,231		-15.42%		20,953
	Faribault		3,407		44.17%		4,104		53.21%		202		2.62%		-697		-9.04%		7,713
	Fillmore		5,713		52.45%		4,913		45.11%		266		2.44%		800		7.34%		10,892
	Freeborn		9,326		55.82%		6,969		41.72%		411		2.46%		2,357		14.10%		16,706
	Goodhue		12,212		47.33%		12,986		50.33%		603		2.34%		-774		-3.00%		25,801
	Grant		1,647		47.23%		1,748		50.13%		92		2.64%		-101		-2.90%		3,487
	Hennepin		423,982		62.34%		240,073		35.30%		16,010		2.36%		183,909		27.04%		680,065
	Houston		5,281		50.56%		4,951		47.40%		214		2.04%		330		3.16%		10,446
	Hubbard		4,676		40.59%		6,622		57.48%		222		1.93%		-1,946		-16.89%		11,520
	Isanti		8,024		39.69%		11,675		57.75%		518		2.56%		-3,651		-18.06%		20,217
	Itasca		12,852		53.73%		10,501		43.90%		566		2.37%		2,351		9.83%		23,919
	Jackson		2,268		41.77%		3,044		56.06%		118		2.17%		-776		-14.29%		5,430
	Kanabec		3,593		44.09%		4,328		53.10%		229		2.81%		-735		-9.01%		8,150
	Kandiyohi		9,805		45.68%		11,240		52.36%		420		1.96%		-1,435		-6.68%		21,465
	Kittson		1,241		51.28%		1,095		45.25%		84		3.47%		146		6.03%		2,420
	Koochiching		3,451		53.44%		2,841		43.99%		166		2.57%		610		9.45%		6,458
	Lac qui Parle		1,974		49.55%		1,938		48.64%		72		1.81%		36		0.91%		3,984
	Lake		4,043		59.28%		2,610		38.27%		167		2.45%		1,433		21.01%		6,820
	Lake of the Woods		859		38.45%		1,306		58.46%		69		3.09%		-447		-20.01%		2,234
	Le Sueur		6,753		45.64%		7,715		52.15%		327		2.21%		-962		-6.51%		14,795
	Lincoln		1,429		45.80%		1,595		51.12%		96		3.08%		-166		-5.32%		3,120
	Lyon		5,465		44.12%		6,594		53.23%		329		2.65%		-1,129		-9.11%		12,388
	Mahnomen		1,276		58.48%		871		39.92%		35		1.60%		405		18.56%		2,182
	Marshall		1,998		42.53%		2,569		54.68%		131		2.79%		-571		-12.15%		4,698
	Martin		4,054		36.96%		6,657		60.69%		257		2.35%		-2,603		-23.73%		10,968
	McLeod		6,968		37.56%		11,069		59.66%		516		2.78%		-4,101		-22.10%		18,553
	Meeker		4,969		40.68%		6,913		56.60%		332		2.72%		-1,944		-15.92%		12,214
	Mille Lacs		5,829		44.53%		6,951		53.10%		311		2.37%		-1,122		-8.57%		13,091
	Morrison		6,153		36.81%		10,159		60.78%		402		2.41%		-4,006		-23.97%		16,714
	Mower		11,129		60.03%		6,938		37.42%		472		2.55%		4,191		22.61%		18,539
	Murray		2,160		45.31%		2,504		52.53%		103		2.16%		-344		-7.22%		4,767
	Nicollet		9,652		52.58%		8,214		44.75%		491		2.67%		1,438		7.83%		18,357
	Nobles		3,793		44.52%		4,581		53.77%		146		1.71%		-788		-9.25%		8,520
	Norman		1,730		53.94%		1,384		43.16%		93		2.90%		346		10.78%		3,207
	Olmsted		39,338		50.23%		36,832		47.03%		2,146		2.74%		2,506		3.20%		78,316
	Otter Tail		12,165		38.41%		18,860		59.55%		645		2.04%		-6,695		-21.14%		31,670
	Pennington		3,024		46.40%		3,305		50.71%		188		2.89%		-281		-4.31%		6,517
	Pine		6,750		48.34%		6,845		49.02%		370		2.64%		-95		-0.68%		13,965
	Pipestone		1,725		37.13%		2,826		60.83%		95		2.04%		-1,101		-23.70%		4,646
	Polk		6,773		46.10%		7,615		51.83%		305		2.07%		-842		-5.73%		14,693
	Pope		2,981		47.73%		3,142		50.30%		123		1.97%		-161		-2.57%		6,246
	Ramsey		184,938		66.33%		86,800		31.13%		7,084		2.54%		98,138		35.20%		278,822
	Red Lake		928		46.99%		978		49.52%		69		3.49%		-50		-2.53%		1,975
	Redwood		3,008		38.61%		4,570		58.66%		212		2.73%		-1,562		-20.05%		7,790
	Renville		3,394		44.02%		4,149		53.81%		167		2.17%		-755		-9.79%		7,710
	Rice		17,054		52.85%		14,384		44.58%		829		2.57%		2,670		8.27%		32,267
	Rock		1,946		40.16%		2,810		57.99%		90		1.85%		-864		-17.83%		4,846
	Roseau		2,772		37.70%		4,409		59.97%		171		2.33%		-1,637		-22.27%		7,352
	St. Louis		73,378		63.48%		39,131		33.85%		3,085		2.67%		34,247		29.63%		115,594
	Scott		29,712		41.47%		40,323		56.28%		1,612		2.25%		-10,611		-14.81%		71,647
	Sherburne		17,597		37.84%		27,848		59.88%		1,064		2.28%		-10,251		-22.04%		46,509
	Sibley		2,916		37.31%		4,693		60.05%		206		2.64%		-1,777		-22.74%		7,815
	Stearns		33,551		42.75%		43,015		54.81%		1,911		2.44%		-9,464		-12.06%		78,477
	Steele		8,706		45.52%		9,903		51.78%		515		2.70%		-1,197		-6.26%		19,124
	Stevens		2,742		48.51%		2,766		48.94%		144		2.55%		-24		-0.43%		5,652
	Swift		2,751		53.74%		2,248		43.91%		120		2.35%		503		9.83%		5,119
	Todd		4,819		40.83%		6,719		56.93%		265		2.24%		-1,900		-16.10%		11,803
	Traverse		943		51.06%		861		46.62%		43		2.32%		82		4.44%		1,847
	Wabasha		5,415		46.03%		6,049		51.42%		299		2.55%		-634		-5.39%		11,763
	Wadena		2,492		36.70%		4,143		61.01%		156		2.29%		-1,651		-24.31%		6,791
	Waseca		4,370		44.83%		5,116		52.49%		261		2.68%		-746		-7.66%		9,747
	Washington		70,203		49.39%		69,137		48.64%		2,793		1.97%		1,066		0.75%		142,133
	Watonwan		2,494		48.48%		2,517		48.93%		133		2.59%		-23		-0.45%		5,144
	Wilkin		1,258		39.04%		1,884		58.47%		80		2.49%		-626		-19.43%		3,222
	Winona		14,980		55.01%		11,480		42.16%		772		2.83%		3,500		12.85%		27,232
	Wright		25,741		37.96%		40,466		59.67%		1,609		2.37%		-14,725		-21.71%		67,816
	Yellow Medicine		2,465		45.53%		2,806		51.83%		143		2.64%		-341		-6.30%		5,414
Totals	1,546,167	52.65%	1,320,225	44.96%	70,169	2.39%	225,942	7.69%	2,936,561

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Aitkin (largest city: Aitkin)
• Big Stone (largest city: Ortonville)
• Grant (largest city: Elbow Lake)
• Lincoln (largest city: Tyler)
• Marshall (largest city: Warren)
• Murray (largest city: Slayton)
• Pennington (largest city: Thief River Falls)
• Pine (largest city: Pine City)
• Polk (largest city: East Grand Forks)
• Pope (largest city: Glenwood)
• Red Lake (largest city: Red Lake Falls)
• Stevens (largest city: Morris)
• Watonwan (largest city: St. James)
• Yellow Medicine (largest city: Granite Falls)

Results by congressional district

Obama won 6 of 8 congressional districts, including two held by Republicans. Romney won 2, including one held by a Democrat.^[13]

District	Obama	Romney	Representative
		49.56%	48.21%		Tim Walz
		49.07%	49.01%		John Kline
		49.6%	48.8%		Erik Paulsen
		62.48%	35.5%		Betty McCollum
		73.5%	24%		Keith Ellison
		41.54%	56.49%		Michele Bachmann
		44.13%	53.87%		Collin Peterson
		51.7%	46.22%		Rick Nolan

See also

• United States presidential elections in Minnesota
• 2012 Republican Party presidential debates and forums
• 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries
• Results of the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries

External links

• 2012 Election Central: 2012 Primary Schedule
• The Green Papers: Minnesota Republican Delegation 2012
• The Green Papers: Major state elections in chronological order

Notes and References

1. Web site: Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State. www.sos.state.mn.us. en. 2017-07-22.
2. Web site: 2012-04-30. Will Vermont's 27-Cycle GOP Presidential Streak Ever Be Broken?. 2021-06-22. Smart Politics. en-US.
3. Web site: Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. 2020-09-02. uselectionatlas.org.
4. Web site: Presidential Preference by County. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20161009115655/http://minnesotaelectionresults.sos.state.mn.us/20120207/mediadisplay.asp?MediaID=7. 2016-10-09. 2016-10-07. Minnesota Secretary of State.
5. News: Scheck. Tom. September 30, 2011. MNGOP keeping Feb. 7 Caucus date. Capitol View. Minnesota Public Radio.
6. Web site: Election Reporting System: Statewide Results for Republican Party. March 1, 2012. Minnesota Secretary of State.
7. News: April 15, 2012. Paul supporters chosen as delegates in three congressional districts. Pierce County Herald. dead. April 17, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120419220900/http://www.piercecountyherald.com/event/article/id/44552. April 19, 2012. mdy-all.
8. Web site: Anderson. Pat. 21 April 2012. Ron Paul gets 20/24 Congressional District delegates. CD4 3, CD2 3, CD8 2, CD1 2 #mngop #mnleg. 22 April 2012. twitter.com. Twitter.
9. News: April 22, 2012. Rep. Paul supporters elected to half of Minnesota GOP convention delegation. Pierce County Herald. dead. April 22, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120425041427/http://www.piercecountyherald.com/event/article/id/44707. April 25, 2012. mdy-all.
10. Web site: Ron Paul Wins Minnesota State Convention. 20 May 2012.
11. Web site: Republican Party of Minnesota Events. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120517155136/http://www.mngop.com/inner.asp?z=20. 17 May 2012. 4 May 2012.
12. Web site: Minnesota Secretary of State . 2012-11-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121110025230/http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/ENR/Results/FederalResults/1?id=President&officeInElectionId=1 . 2012-11-10 . live .
13. Web site: Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts. Daily Kos. 11 August 2020.