2012 United States presidential election in West Virginia explained

See main article: 2012 United States presidential election.

Election Name:2012 United States presidential election in West Virginia
Country:West Virginia
Flag Year:2012
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2008 United States presidential election in West Virginia
Previous Year:2008
Next Election:2016 United States presidential election in West Virginia
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 Vote1:5
Popular Vote1:417,655
Percentage1:62.14%
Nominee2:Barack Obama
Party2:Democratic Party (United States)
Home State2:Illinois
Running Mate2:Joe Biden
Electoral Vote2:0
Popular Vote2:238,269
Percentage2:35.45%
President
Before Election:Barack Obama
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:Barack Obama
After Party:Democratic Party (United States)
Map Size:300px

The 2012 United States presidential election in West Virginia 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. West Virginia voters chose five 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.

Mitt Romney defeated Barack Obama in the state of West Virginia by a landslide 26.69-point margin. The Republican ticket took 62.14% of the vote to the Democratic ticket's 35.45%, sweeping every county in the state.[1] Romney became the first presidential candidate from any party since West Virginia's admission to the Union in 1863 to sweep every single county in the state and the first since Richard Nixon in 1972 to carry over 60% of the state's votes.[2]

This represented a historic loss for the Democrats in West Virginia, which had been a Democratic stronghold from the New Deal up through the 1990s. Obama became the first Democrat since statehood to win the presidency without carrying Webster County, Jefferson County, or Braxton County. Obama is also the only president since statehood to win two terms without ever winning the state once. With 62.14% of the popular vote, West Virginia would prove to be Romney's fifth strongest state in the 2012 election after Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Idaho.[3] As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last time the Democratic nominee has received more than 30% of the vote in West Virginia.

Primary elections

Democratic primary

See main article: 2012 West Virginia Democratic presidential primary. Barack Obama defeated Keith Judd, a convicted felon serving a federal prison sentence in Texarkana, TX, by a surprisingly narrow 59% to 41%.[4]

Election Name:West Virginia Democratic primary, 2012
Country:West Virginia
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:West Virginia Democratic primary, 2008
Previous Year:2008
Next Election:United States presidential election in West Virginia, 2016#Democratic primary
Next Year:2016
Image1:President Barack Obama, 2012 portrait crop.jpg
Candidate1:Barack Obama
Home State1:Illinois
Delegate Count1:24
Popular Vote1:106,770
Percentage1:59.35%
Candidate2:Keith Judd
Home State2:Texas
Delegate Count2:0
Popular Vote2:73,138
Percentage2:40.65%
Map Size:250px
Color1:1e90ff
Color2:ff8C00

Republican primary

Election Name:West Virginia Republican primary, 2012
Country:West Virginia
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:United States presidential election in West Virginia, 2008
Previous Year:2008
Next Election:United States presidential election in West Virginia, 2016
Next Year:2016
Image1:Mitt_Romney_by_Gage_Skidmore_6_cropped.jpg
Candidate1:Mitt Romney
Home State1:Massachusetts
Delegate Count1:24
Popular Vote1:78,197
Percentage1:69.56%
Candidate2:Rick Santorum
Home State2:Pennsylvania
Delegate Count2:2
Popular Vote2:13,590
Percentage2:12.09%
Map Size:250px
Color1:ff6600
Color2:008000
Color5:800080
Color4:ffcc00
Image4:Ron Paul by Gage Skidmore 3 (crop 2).jpg
Image5:Newt Gingrich by Gage Skidmore 3 (cropped).jpg
Candidate4:Ron Paul
Candidate5:Newt Gingrich
Home State4:Texas
Home State5:Georgia
Popular Vote4:12,412
Popular Vote5:7,076
Percentage4:11.04%
Percentage5:6.29%
Delegate Count4:0
Delegate Count5:0

The Republican primary took place on May 8, 2012.[5] [6]

Results

West Virginia Republican primary, 2012
CandidateVotes PercentageProjected delegate count
CNNGP
Mitt Romney78,19769.56%24
Rick Santorum (withdrawn)13,59012.09%2
Ron Paul12,41211.04%0
Newt Gingrich (withdrawn)7,0766.29%0
Buddy Roemer (withdrawn)1,1411.01%0
Unprojected delegates315
Total:112,416100%3131

Results by county

County[7] Mitt RomneyRon PaulRick Santorum
(withdrawn)		Newt Gingrich
(withdrawn)		Buddy Roemer
(withdrawn)
Barbour66.96% (983)9.20% (135)15.94% (234)7.49% (110)0.41% (6)
Berkeley69.31% (4366)14.92% (940)10.29% (648)4.84% (305)0.64% (40)
Boone70.28% (454)10.68% (69)14.55% (94)3.41% (22)1.08% (7)
Braxton68.44% (399)13.89% (81)12.35% (72)4.12% (24)1.20% (7)
Brooke69.46% (778)10.36% (116)15.09% (169)4.64% (52)0.45% (5)
Cabell69.09% (3351)12.60% (611)11.34% (550)5.77% (280)1.20% (58)
Calhoun66.78% (191)11.89% (34)12.24% (35)5.59% (16)3.50% (10)
Clay67.01% (262)10.49% (41)13.30% (52)7.42% (29)1.79% (7)
Doddridge67.36% (997)10.61% (157)12.23% (181)8.31% (123)1.49% (22)
Fayette66.54% (891)12.02% (161)12.70% (170)7.17% (96)1.57% (21)
Gilmer70.44% (255)7.73% (28)11.05% (40)9.94% (36)0.83% (3)
Grant78.16% (1403)6.07% (109)8.30% (149)6.35% (114)1.11% (20)
Greenbrier68.13% (1366)11.12% (223)13.12% (263)6.43% (129)1.20% (24)
Hampshire72.70% (1270)8.59% (150)12.08% (211)5.72% (100)0.92% (16)
Hancock70.04% (1302)11.62% (216)13.07% (243)3.98% (74)1.29% (24)
Hardy69.75% (611)8.22% (72)13.93% (122)6.62% (58)1.48% (13)
Harrison67.88% (2715)10.95% (438)12.03% (481)8.25% (330)0.90% (36)
Jackson65.87% (2030)11.36% (350)13.98% (431)7.66% (236)1.14% (35)
Jefferson67.98% (1771)16.08% (419)10.13% (264)4.99% (130)0.81% (21)
Kanawha71.73% (7295)11.62% (1182)10.55% (1073)5.18% (527)0.91% (93)
Lewis73.98% (1288)7.41% (129)10.17% (177)7.35% (128)1.09% (19)
Lincoln71.69% (504)8.53% (60)10.38% (73)7.54% (53)1.85% (13)
Logan67.71% (388)9.77% (56)15.01% (86)6.46% (37)1.05% (6)
Marion64.57% (1775)11.13% (306)15.61% (429)6.91% (190)1.78% (49)
Marshall71.67% (1687)8.54% (201)13.04% (307)5.82% (137)0.93% (22)
Mason66.04% (1641)11.11% (276)13.48% (335)7.69% (191)1.69% (42)
McDowell62.81% (152)12.81% (31)15.70% (38)8.26% (20)0.41% (1)
Mercer72.24% (1884)8.51% (222)12.08% (315)6.40% (167)0.77% (20)
Mineral70.54% (1722)10.00% (244)12.04% (294)6.72% (164)0.70% (17)
Mingo69.21% (272)7.63% (30)12.21% (48)8.91% (35)2.04% (8)
Monongalia66.40% (2826)14.14% (602)11.63% (495)6.72% (286)1.10% (47)
Monroe65.27% (671)12.55% (129)12.16% (125)8.46% (87)1.56% (16)
Morgan68.77% (1240)13.09% (236)11.09% (200)5.60% (101)1.44% (26)
Nicholas69.78% (875)9.81% (123)12.28% (154)7.10% (89)1.04% (13)
Ohio76.43% (2775)8.84% (321)10.52% (382)3.58% (130)0.63% (23)
Pendleton75.64% (354)7.26% (34)11.54% (54)4.70% (22)0.85% (4)
Pleasants66.26% (381)10.78% (62)16.70% (96)5.57% (32)0.70% (4)
Pocahontas63.05% (558)14.01% (124)13.56% (120)8.47% (75)0.90% (8)
Preston66.95% (2032)10.48% (318)15.32% (465)6.39% (194)0.86% (26)
Putnam70.34% (3891)11.26% (623)12.26% (678)5.28% (292)0.87% (48)
Raleigh73.23% (2992)7.73% (316)11.75% (480)6.78% (277)0.51% (21)
Randolph68.43% (969)9.25% (131)13.14% (186)7.84% (111)1.34% (19)
Ritchie65.27% (1000)13.97% (214)12.01% (184)7.18% (110)1.57% (24)
Roane69.95% (866)9.94% (123)11.31% (140)7.43% (92)1.37% (17)
Summers67.24% (388)10.40% (60)11.96% (69)9.01% (52)1.39% (8)
Taylor67.82% (784)11.76% (136)12.63% (146)7.44% (86)0.35% (4)
Tucker69.29% (422)11.33% (69)9.85% (60)9.03% (55)0.49% (3)
Tyler68.46% (675)11.76% (116)11.97% (118)6.39% (63)1.42% (14)
Upshur69.12% (2344)9.20% (312)13.65% (463)6.69% (227)1.33% (45)
Wayne66.79% (1076)10.12% (163)14.65% (236)7.76% (125)0.68% (11)
Webster64.65% (139)10.70% (23)15.35% (33)6.98% (15)2.33% (5)
Wetzel69.53% (566)8.35% (68)16.46% (134)5.28% (43)0.37% (3)
Wirt63.00% (332)11.57% (61)16.32% (86)8.92% (47)0.19% (1)
Wood70.20% (5422)11.64% (899)10.72% (828)6.42% (496)1.02% (79)
Wyoming75.58% (616)7.61% (62)9.08% (74)6.87% (56)0.86% (7)

General election

Results by county

CountyMitt Romney
Republican		Barack Obama
Democratic		Various candidates
Other parties		MarginTotal
%%%%
Barbour3,82466.19%1,76830.60%1853.21%2,05635.59%5,777
Berkeley22,15659.39%14,27538.26%8762.35%7,88121.13%37,307
Boone5,46764.30%2,79032.82%2452.88%2,67731.48%8,502
Braxton2,72556.65%1,99841.54%871.81%72715.11%4,810
Brooke5,06054.25%4,00542.94%2632.81%1,05511.31%9,328
Cabell17,98555.93%13,56842.19%6051.88%4,41713.74%32,158
Calhoun1,31959.68%81837.01%733.31%50122.67%2,210
Clay1,97165.31%93130.85%1163.84%1,04034.46%3,018
Doddridge2,13076.78%57520.73%692.49%1,55556.05%2,774
Fayette8,35059.35%5,41938.51%3012.14%2,93120.84%14,070
Gilmer1,59563.24%84033.31%873.45%75529.93%2,522
Grant3,78382.45%71815.65%871.90%3,06566.80%4,588
Greenbrier7,93060.98%4,71036.22%3652.80%3,22024.76%13,005
Hampshire5,52368.87%2,29928.67%1972.46%3,22440.20%8,019
Hancock7,22659.47%4,62738.08%2972.45%2,59921.39%12,150
Hardy3,53668.25%1,48228.60%1633.15%2,05439.65%5,181
Harrison15,87660.43%9,73237.04%6632.53%6,14423.39%26,271
Jackson7,40863.90%3,85433.24%3322.86%3,55430.66%11,594
Jefferson11,25850.63%10,39846.76%5802.61%8603.87%22,236
Kanawha41,36454.92%32,48043.13%1,4681.95%8,88411.79%75,312
Lewis4,37569.51%1,73627.58%1832.91%2,63941.93%6,294
Lincoln4,38364.29%2,22732.66%2083.05%2,15631.63%6,818
Logan8,22268.68%3,46928.98%2812.34%4,75339.70%11,972
Marion12,05455.93%8,95941.57%5402.50%3,09514.36%21,553
Marshall8,13562.77%4,48434.60%3412.63%3,65128.17%12,960
Mason5,74158.64%3,77838.59%2712.77%1,96320.05%9,790
McDowell3,95963.98%2,10934.08%1201.94%1,85029.90%6,188
Mercer15,45072.49%5,43225.49%4312.02%10,01847.00%21,313
Mineral7,83371.29%2,88526.26%2702.45%4,94845.03%10,988
Mingo6,19169.92%2,42827.42%2362.66%3,76342.50%8,855
Monongalia16,83153.28%13,82643.77%9342.95%3,0059.51%31,591
Monroe3,61669.11%1,45527.81%1613.08%2,16141.30%5,232
Morgan4,51363.82%2,36333.42%1952.76%2,15030.40%7,071
Nicholas5,89867.09%2,66430.30%2292.61%3,23436.79%8,791
Ohio10,76859.96%6,78637.79%4052.25%3,98222.17%17,959
Pendleton2,09564.34%1,07432.99%872.67%1,02131.35%3,256
Pleasants1,82564.24%95533.61%612.15%87030.63%2,841
Pocahontas2,18260.76%1,30336.29%1062.95%87924.47%3,591
Preston7,88970.54%2,93126.21%3633.25%4,95844.33%11,183
Putnam16,03267.47%7,25630.54%4721.99%8,77636.93%23,760
Raleigh20,61471.48%7,73926.84%4841.68%12,87544.64%28,837
Randolph6,16063.00%3,34234.18%2762.82%2,81828.82%9,778
Ritchie2,92177.07%76820.26%1012.67%2,15356.81%3,790
Roane2,98258.93%1,93938.32%1392.75%1,04320.61%5,060
Summers2,98162.84%1,62134.17%1422.99%1,36028.67%4,744
Taylor3,84064.85%1,94132.78%1402.37%1,89932.07%5,921
Tucker2,17669.34%88028.04%822.62%1,29641.30%3,138
Tyler2,31470.44%89027.09%812.47%1,42443.35%3,285
Upshur5,93971.57%2,15826.01%2012.42%3,78145.56%8,298
Wayne8,68862.02%4,93135.20%3902.78%3,75726.82%14,009
Webster1,71061.67%94734.15%1164.18%76327.52%2,773
Wetzel3,47359.11%2,21737.74%1853.15%1,25621.37%5,875
Wirt1,42765.73%67631.14%683.13%75134.59%2,171
Wood22,18365.10%11,23032.96%6631.94%10,95332.14%34,076
Wyoming5,76976.65%1,58321.03%1742.32%4,18655.62%7,526
Totals417,65562.14%238,26935.45%16,1952.41%179,38626.69%672,119

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

Romney won all three congressional districts, including one held by a Democrat.[8]

DistrictRomneyObamaRepresentative
62.18%35.54%David McKinley
60%37.97%Shelley Moore Capito
65%32.79%Nick Rahall

See also

External links

for West Virginia

Major state elections in chronological order

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Statewide Results - General Election. WV Secretary of State. January 3, 2013.
  2. Thomas, G. Scott; The Pursuit of the White House: A Handbook of Presidential Election Statistics and History, pp. 459-460
  3. Web site: 2012 Presidential Election Statistics. Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. 2018-03-05.
  4. Web site: 4 in 10 choose convict over Obama in W.Va. primary - Political Hotsheet . CBS News . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120510013028/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57430719-503544/4-in-10-choose-convict-over-obama-in-w.va-primary/ . 2012-05-10.
  5. News: Primary and Caucus Printable Calendar. CNN. January 12, 2012.
  6. News: Presidential Primary Dates. Federal Election Commission. January 23, 2012.
  7. Web site: May 8, 2012. Statewide Results - Primary Election. WV Secretary of State. August 29, 2012.
  8. Web site: Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts. Daily Kos. 11 August 2020.

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