2012 United States presidential election in Utah explained

See main article: 2012 United States presidential election.

Election Name:2012 United States presidential election in Utah
Country:Utah
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2008 United States presidential election in Utah
Previous Year:2008
Next Election:2016 United States presidential election in Utah
Next Year:2016
Election Date:November 6, 2012
Image1:Mitt_Romney_by_Gage_Skidmore_6_cropped.jpg
Nominee1:Mitt Romney
Party1:Republican Party (United States)
Home State1:Massachusetts
Running Mate1:Paul Ryan
Electoral Vote1:6
Popular Vote1:740,600
Percentage1:72.55%
Nominee2:Barack Obama
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:Illinois
Running Mate2:Joe Biden
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:251,813
Percentage2:24.67%
Map Size:250px
President
Before Election:Barack Obama
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Barack Obama
After Party:Democratic Party (United States)
Flag Image:Flag of Utah (2011–2024).svg

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.

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 in 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

Election Name:2012 Utah Republican primary
Country:Utah
Flag Year:2011
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2008 Utah Republican presidential primary
Previous Year:2008
Next Election:2016 Utah Republican presidential primary
Next Year:2016
Image1:Mitt_Romney_by_Gage_Skidmore_6_cropped.jpg
Candidate1:Mitt Romney
Color1:f25000
Home State1:Massachusetts
Delegate Count1:40
Popular Vote1:220,865
Percentage1:93.07%
Candidate2:Ron Paul
Color2:ffcc00
Delegate Count2:0
Popular Vote2:11,209
Percentage2:4.72%
Home State2:Texas
Map Size:225px

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.

2012 Utah Republican presidential primary[6]
CandidateVotesPercentageDelegates
Mitt Romney220,86593.07%40
Ron Paul11,2094.72%0
Rick Santorum3,5411.49%0
Newt Gingrich 1,1240.47%0
Fred Karger5780.24%0
Pledged party leaders:3
Total:237,317100.0%40
Key: align:"center" bgcolor=DDDDDDWithdrew prior to contest

General election

Candidate ballot access

Write-in access:

Results

2012 United States presidential election in Utah[7]
PartyCandidateRunning mateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
RepublicanMitt RomneyPaul Ryan 740,600 72.55%6
DemocraticBarack Obama (incumbent)Joe Biden (incumbent)251,81324.67%0
LibertarianJim Gray12,5721.23%0
JusticeRocky AndersonLuis J. Rodriguez5,3350.52%0
GreenJill SteinCheri Honkala3,8170.37%0
ConstitutionVirgil GoodeJim Clymer2,8710.28%0
Socialism and LiberationGloria La RivaFilberto 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
%%%%%
Beaver2,17484.92%34613.52%170.66%230.90%1,82871.40%2,560
Box Elder17,10188.11%1,98410.22%1500.77%1730.89%15,11777.89%19,408
Cache35,03982.85%6,24414.76%5431.28%4671.10%28,79568.09%42,293
Carbon5,09067.27%2,27530.06%881.16%1141.51%2,81537.21%7,567
Daggett40678.08%9418.08%163.08%40.77%31260.00%520
Davis96,86180.00%21,88918.08%1,2171.01%1,1020.91%74,97261.92%121,069
Duchesne5,69889.32%5819.11%410.64%590.92%5,11780.21%6,379
Emery3,77784.90%56912.79%481.08%551.23%3,20872.11%4,449
Garfield1,83283.96%30814.12%170.78%251.15%1,52469.84%2,182
Grand1,99650.53%1,72743.72%711.80%1563.95%2696.81%3,950
Iron14,20084.47%2,14812.78%2021.20%2611.55%12,05271.69%16,811
Juab3,44885.99%45111.25%270.67%842.09%2,99774.74%4,010
Kane2,52274.81%74422.07%471.39%581.72%1,77852.74%3,371
Millard4,47888.59%4318.53%430.85%1032.04%4,04780.06%5,055
Morgan4,11489.49%4038.77%360.78%440.95%3,71180.72%4,597
Piute69789.13%749.46%50.64%60.77%62379.67%782
Rich91590.15%838.18%60.59%111.09%83281.97%1,015
Salt Lake223,81158.26%146,14738.04%5,5211.44%8,6952.26%77,66420.22%384,174
San Juan3,07457.92%2,13940.31%420.79%520.98%93517.61%5,307
Sanpete8,40688.05%98010.27%690.72%920.96%7,42677.78%9,547
Sevier7,20789.32%7389.15%560.69%680.84%6,46980.17%8,069
Summit8,88450.49%8,07245.87%3011.71%3401.93%8124.62%17,597
Tooele14,26873.77%4,52423.39%2321.20%3181.64%9,74450.38%19,342
Uintah10,42189.75%9978.59%710.61%1221.05%9,42481.16%11,611
Utah156,95088.32%17,2819.72%2,1201.19%1,3620.77%139,66978.60%177,713
Wasatch7,22074.90%2,19122.73%900.93%1391.45%5,02952.17%9,640
Washington44,69882.43%8,33715.37%5411.00%6501.19%36,36167.06%54,226
Wayne1,08982.06%21516.20%60.45%171.28%87465.86%1,327
Weber54,22471.08%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

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

Mitt Romney won all four congressional districts, including one that simultaneously elected a Democrat.

DistrictRomneyObamaRepresentative
78%20%Rob Bishop
68%29%Chris Stewart
79%20%
68%30%district created
Jim Matheson

See also

External links

for Utah

Major state elections in chronological order

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Historical Election Results – Utah Voter Information. December 2, 2020. voteinfo.utah.gov.
  2. Web site: 2012 Presidential Election Statistics. Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. 2018-03-05.
  3. News: Primary and Caucus Printable Calendar. CNN. January 12, 2012.
  4. Web site: WSJ Poll tracker, 17-poll average . Wall Street Journal . April 10, 2012 . April 11, 2012 . April 22, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120422124830/http://projects.wsj.com/campaign2012/polls?mod=wsj_elections_2012_nav#cand=Romney&race=2&region=US&src=rcpo . dead .
  5. Web site: Poll: Utah voters believe Romney's Mormon faith hurting him less this time . Deseret News . April 3, 2012.
  6. Web site: Republican for president. Utah Election Results. State of Utah. August 27, 2012.
  7. Web site: Utah Secretary of State . 2012-11-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120302205439/http://electionresults.utah.gov/xmlData/300000.html . 2012-03-02 . dead .
  8. Web site: 2012 Presidential General Election Results - Utah.

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