2012 United States presidential election in Indiana
The 2012 United States presidential election in Indiana 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. Indiana voters chose 11 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 Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney and his running mate, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan. Romney and Ryan carried Indiana with 54.1% of the popular vote to the Democratic ticket's 43.9%, thus winning the state's 11 electoral votes.[1]
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 County Results
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| Elections in Indiana |
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Indiana was one of just two states (along with North Carolina) which had been won by Obama in 2008 but flipped to the Republican column in 2012. Although the state normally leans Republican, in 2008, Obama had been the first Democrat to win Indiana since 1964, albeit by a narrow 1.03% margin. However, unlike North Carolina, Indiana was not seriously contested again by the Obama campaign in 2012, and consequently Romney was able to carry it by a comfortable 10.20%. Obama also lost six counties he had won in 2008.
Obama carried Vigo County, home to Terre Haute, and at the time a noted bellwether; before 2020, it had voted for the winner of every presidential election all but twice since 1892. After 2012, demographic change and the rightward turn of exurban areas accelerated by the Trump era have made Vigo County generally uncompetitive to the present day.[2] As of 2020, this election is the most recent time that Delaware, LaPorte, Perry, Porter, and Vigo counties have voted for a Democratic presidential candidate. Obama won nine counties compared to 83 for Romney, who won most rural areas of the state. Romney also performed well in the Indianapolis suburbs; Allen County, home of Fort Wayne; and Vanderburgh County, home of Evansville. As expected, Obama did better in urban, densely populated areas. Obama trounced Romney in Marion County, home of Indianapolis, as well as Lake County, home of Gary and East Chicago. Obama also for the most part did well in counties that contained major colleges, such as Monroe County, home of Indiana University Bloomington; St. Joseph County, home of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend; and Porter County, home of Valparaiso University.
As of 2022, this is the last time that Indiana has voted to the left of Texas or South Carolina. This was the first election since 1948 that Indiana did not vote for the same candidate as Virginia.
Primaries
Democratic
Incumbent President Barack Obama ran unopposed.
Republican
The Republican primary took place on May 8, 2012.[3][4]
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Projected delegate count | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | CNN |
FOX | |||
 Mitt Romney |
410,635 | 64.61% | 28 | 27 | |
| Ron Paul | 98,487 | 15.50% | |||
| Rick Santorum (withdrawn) | 85,332 | 13.43% | |||
| Newt Gingrich (withdrawn) | 41,135 | 6.47% | |||
| Unprojected delegates: | 18 | 19 | 46 | ||
| Total: | 635,589 | 100.00% | 46 | 46 | 46 |
General election
Campaign
Incumbent Obama didn't visit Indiana, although First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton stumped in the state. Meanwhile, the Romney campaign sensed victory in the state, and he visited Indiana several times.[6]
Polling
Republican Nominee Mitt Romney won every pre-election poll conducted in the state by at least 5%, and often by double digits. The average of the final 3 polls had Romney leading Obama 51% to 43%.[7]
Results
| 2012 United States presidential election in Indiana[8] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | Willard M. Romney | Paul D. Ryan | 1,420,543 | 54.13% | 11 | |
| Democratic | Barack H. Obama (Incumbent) | Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Incumbent) | 1,152,887 | 43.93% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Gary E. Johnson | Jim Gray | 50,111 | 1.91% | 0 | |
| Green (Write-in) | Jill Stein (Write-in) | Cheri Honkala | 625 | 0.02% | 0 | |
| Constitution (Write-in) | Virgil Goode (Write-in) | Jim Clymer | 290 | 0.01% | 0 | |
| America's Party (Write-in) | Thomas Hoefling (Write-in) | Jonathan D. Ellis | 35 | 0.00% | 0 | |
| Socialist (Write-in) | Stewart Alexander (Write-in) | Alex Mendoza | 17 | 0.00% | 0 | |
| Write-Ins | Write-Ins | 10 | 0.00% | 0 | ||
| Unaffiliated (Write-in) | Jill Ann Reed (Write-in) | Tom Cary | 8 | 0.00% | 0 | |
| Independent (Write-in) | Randall Terry (Write-in) | Missy Smith | 8 | 0.00% | 0 | |
| Totals | 2,624,534 | 100.00% | 11 | |||
Following Romney's win in Indiana, The Indianapolis Star said that "Voters painted Indiana bright red on Tuesday- with a splash or so of blue" and that "voters also proved that while this state is conservative, it doesn't like to stray too far from the middle".[9]
Results by county
| County | Obama% | Obama# | Romney% | Romney# | Others% | Others# | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 29.25% | 3,806 | 68.69% | 8,937 | 2.06% | 268 | 13,011 |
| Allen | 40.86% | 60,036 | 57.58% | 84,613 | 1.56% | 2,290 | 146,939 |
| Bartholomew | 36.23% | 10,625 | 61.66% | 18,083 | 2.11% | 618 | 29,326 |
| Benton | 32.39% | 1,159 | 65.09% | 2,329 | 2.52% | 90 | 3,578 |
| Blackford | 40.63% | 1,927 | 57.16% | 2,711 | 2.21% | 105 | 4,743 |
| Boone | 30.02% | 8,328 | 67.81% | 18,808 | 2.17% | 601 | 27,737 |
| Brown | 40.24% | 3,060 | 56.97% | 4,332 | 2.79% | 212 | 7,604 |
| Carroll | 33.74% | 2,635 | 64.01% | 4,999 | 2.25% | 176 | 7,810 |
| Cass | 37.93% | 5,371 | 59.62% | 8,443 | 2.45% | 347 | 14,161 |
| Clark | 44.13% | 20,807 | 53.98% | 25,450 | 1.89% | 889 | 47,146 |
| Clay | 32.08% | 3,460 | 65.80% | 7,096 | 2.11% | 228 | 10,784 |
| Clinton | 33.47% | 3,308 | 64.13% | 6,338 | 2.40% | 237 | 9,883 |
| Crawford | 44.47% | 2,041 | 52.75% | 2,421 | 2.79% | 128 | 4,590 |
| Daviess | 23.78% | 2,437 | 74.52% | 7,638 | 1.71% | 175 | 10,250 |
| Dearborn | 29.20% | 6,528 | 68.86% | 15,394 | 1.94% | 434 | 22,356 |
| Decatur | 28.53% | 2,941 | 69.06% | 7,119 | 2.41% | 248 | 10,308 |
| DeKalb | 33.19% | 5,419 | 64.84% | 10,587 | 1.97% | 322 | 16,328 |
| Delaware | 50.38% | 22,654 | 47.26% | 21,251 | 2.36% | 1,063 | 44,968 |
| Dubois | 35.17% | 6,522 | 62.85% | 11,654 | 1.97% | 366 | 18,542 |
| Elkhart | 35.96% | 24,399 | 62.46% | 42,378 | 1.58% | 1,075 | 67,852 |
| Fayette | 40.23% | 3,555 | 57.09% | 5,045 | 2.68% | 237 | 8,837 |
| Floyd | 41.95% | 14,812 | 56.30% | 19,878 | 1.74% | 615 | 35,305 |
| Fountain | 31.46% | 2,237 | 65.59% | 4,664 | 2.95% | 210 | 7,111 |
| Franklin | 27.55% | 2,909 | 70.30% | 7,424 | 2.15% | 227 | 10,560 |
| Fulton | 32.25% | 2,621 | 65.43% | 5,317 | 2.31% | 188 | 8,126 |
| Gibson | 33.48% | 4,928 | 64.45% | 9,487 | 2.08% | 306 | 14,721 |
| Grant | 37.92% | 9,589 | 59.92% | 15,151 | 2.16% | 545 | 25,285 |
| Greene | 33.18% | 4,350 | 64.50% | 8,457 | 2.32% | 304 | 13,111 |
| Hamilton | 32.00% | 43,796 | 66.30% | 90,747 | 1.70% | 2,320 | 136,863 |
| Hancock | 28.37% | 9,319 | 69.41% | 22,796 | 2.22% | 728 | 32,843 |
| Harrison | 37.39% | 6,607 | 60.21% | 10,640 | 2.40% | 424 | 17,671 |
| Hendricks | 31.68% | 21,112 | 66.49% | 44,312 | 1.83% | 1,220 | 66,644 |
| Henry | 40.05% | 7,613 | 57.02% | 10,838 | 2.93% | 556 | 19,007 |
| Howard | 41.71% | 15,135 | 56.01% | 20,327 | 2.28% | 828 | 36,290 |
| Huntington | 29.15% | 4,596 | 68.90% | 10,862 | 1.95% | 307 | 15,765 |
| Jackson | 34.93% | 5,838 | 62.34% | 10,419 | 2.72% | 455 | 16,712 |
| Jasper | 36.23% | 4,672 | 61.69% | 7,955 | 2.09% | 269 | 12,896 |
| Jay | 38.77% | 3,063 | 58.79% | 4,645 | 2.44% | 193 | 7,901 |
| Jefferson | 43.64% | 5,728 | 54.06% | 7,096 | 2.30% | 302 | 13,126 |
| Jennings | 37.28% | 3,821 | 59.71% | 6,120 | 3.01% | 309 | 10,250 |
| Johnson | 29.78% | 17,260 | 68.17% | 39,513 | 2.05% | 1,191 | 57,964 |
| Knox | 34.52% | 5,228 | 63.47% | 9,612 | 2.01% | 305 | 15,145 |
| Kosciusko | 22.83% | 6,862 | 75.04% | 22,558 | 2.13% | 640 | 30,060 |
| LaGrange | 31.11% | 2,898 | 66.88% | 6,231 | 2.01% | 187 | 9,316 |
| Lake | 64.88% | 130,897 | 33.92% | 68,431 | 1.20% | 2,430 | 201,758 |
| LaPorte | 55.19% | 24,107 | 42.62% | 18,615 | 2.20% | 959 | 43,681 |
| Lawrence | 32.43% | 5,779 | 65.21% | 11,622 | 2.36% | 421 | 17,822 |
| Madison | 46.60% | 24,407 | 51.12% | 26,769 | 2.28% | 1,194 | 52,370 |
| Marion | 60.26% | 216,336 | 38.02% | 136,509 | 1.72% | 6,164 | 359,009 |
| Marshall | 34.55% | 6,137 | 63.38% | 11,260 | 2.07% | 368 | 17,765 |
| Martin | 28.48% | 1,351 | 68.78% | 3,262 | 2.74% | 130 | 4,743 |
| Miami | 33.03% | 4,222 | 63.95% | 8,174 | 3.01% | 385 | 12,781 |
| Monroe | 58.43% | 33,436 | 39.29% | 22,481 | 2.28% | 1,306 | 57,223 |
| Montgomery | 29.58% | 4,271 | 68.03% | 9,824 | 2.39% | 345 | 14,440 |
| Morgan | 28.19% | 7,969 | 69.31% | 19,591 | 2.50% | 706 | 28,266 |
| Newton | 39.12% | 2,212 | 58.21% | 3,291 | 2.67% | 151 | 5,654 |
| Noble | 32.19% | 5,229 | 65.75% | 10,680 | 2.06% | 335 | 16,244 |
| Ohio | 35.26% | 994 | 62.40% | 1,759 | 2.34% | 66 | 2,819 |
| Orange | 37.80% | 2,939 | 59.38% | 4,617 | 2.83% | 220 | 7,776 |
| Owen | 34.80% | 2,823 | 62.39% | 5,062 | 2.81% | 228 | 8,113 |
| Parke | 32.39% | 2,110 | 64.99% | 4,234 | 2.62% | 171 | 6,515 |
| Perry | 54.81% | 4,316 | 43.21% | 3,403 | 1.98% | 156 | 7,875 |
| Pike | 35.86% | 2,125 | 61.20% | 3,627 | 2.94% | 174 | 5,926 |
| Porter | 51.00% | 37,252 | 47.11% | 34,406 | 1.89% | 1,381 | 73,039 |
| Posey | 37.08% | 4,533 | 60.77% | 7,430 | 2.15% | 263 | 12,226 |
| Pulaski | 35.17% | 1,899 | 62.34% | 3,366 | 2.48% | 134 | 5,399 |
| Putnam | 32.59% | 4,507 | 65.12% | 9,005 | 2.29% | 317 | 13,829 |
| Randolph | 36.99% | 3,769 | 61.03% | 6,218 | 1.98% | 202 | 10,189 |
| Ripley | 29.51% | 3,241 | 68.14% | 7,484 | 2.35% | 258 | 10,983 |
| Rush | 31.61% | 2,221 | 65.94% | 4,633 | 2.45% | 172 | 7,026 |
| Scott | 45.85% | 3,998 | 52.05% | 4,539 | 2.10% | 183 | 8,720 |
| Shelby | 31.97% | 5,359 | 65.50% | 10,978 | 2.52% | 423 | 16,760 |
| Spencer | 41.39% | 4,026 | 56.69% | 5,515 | 1.92% | 187 | 9,728 |
| St. Joseph | 51.00% | 56,460 | 47.49% | 52,578 | 1.50% | 1,666 | 110,704 |
| Starke | 43.51% | 3,809 | 54.12% | 4,738 | 2.36% | 207 | 8,754 |
| Steuben | 35.44% | 4,853 | 62.41% | 8,547 | 2.15% | 295 | 13,695 |
| Sullivan | 38.49% | 3,191 | 59.13% | 4,902 | 2.38% | 197 | 8,290 |
| Switzerland | 42.30% | 1,437 | 55.11% | 1,872 | 2.59% | 88 | 3,397 |
| Tippecanoe | 46.95% | 26,711 | 50.54% | 28,757 | 2.51% | 1,428 | 56,896 |
| Tipton | 33.02% | 2,432 | 64.81% | 4,773 | 2.17% | 160 | 7,365 |
| Union | 32.84% | 1,018 | 65.23% | 2,022 | 1.94% | 60 | 3,100 |
| Vanderburgh | 43.82% | 31,725 | 54.40% | 39,389 | 1.78% | 1,290 | 72,404 |
| Vermillion | 45.27% | 2,979 | 52.06% | 3,426 | 2.67% | 176 | 6,581 |
| Vigo | 49.43% | 19,712 | 48.57% | 19,369 | 2.00% | 796 | 39,877 |
| Wabash | 30.86% | 3,973 | 67.14% | 8,644 | 2.00% | 257 | 12,874 |
| Warren | 34.84% | 1,324 | 62.55% | 2,377 | 2.61% | 99 | 3,800 |
| Warrick | 35.70% | 8,793 | 62.33% | 15,351 | 1.97% | 486 | 24,630 |
| Washington | 36.41% | 3,909 | 60.85% | 6,533 | 2.75% | 295 | 10,737 |
| Wayne | 41.57% | 10,591 | 56.21% | 14,321 | 2.22% | 565 | 25,477 |
| Wells | 26.56% | 3,436 | 71.56% | 9,256 | 1.88% | 243 | 12,935 |
| White | 36.73% | 3,637 | 60.28% | 5,970 | 2.99% | 296 | 9,903 |
| Whitley | 29.45% | 4,420 | 68.34% | 10,258 | 2.22% | 333 | 15,011 |
|
Democratic
Hold |
Republican
Hold
Gain from Democratic
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Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Madison (largest city: Anderson)
- Spencer (largest city: Santa Claus)
- Starke (largest city: Knox)
- Tippecanoe (largest city: Lafayette)
- Vanderburgh (largest city: Evansville)
- Vermillion (largest city: Clinton)
By congressional district
Romney won 7 of 9 congressional districts.[10]
| District | Romney | Obama | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 37.39% | 61.19% | Pete Visclosky |
| 2nd | 56.1% | 42.14% | Jackie Walorski |
| 3rd | 62.54% | 35.7% | Marlin Stutzman |
| 4th | 60.88% | 36.87% | Todd Rokita |
| 5th | 57.5% | 40.7% | Susan Brooks |
| 6th | 60.43% | 37.28% | Luke Messer |
| 7th | 35.35% | 62.9% | André Carson |
| 8th | 58.37% | 39.61% | Larry Bucshon |
| 9th | 57.17% | 40.7% | Todd Young |
See also
Sources
- "2012 presidential elector candidates (as of September 7, 2012)" (PDF). Secretary of State of Indiana. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-03-28.
References
- "2012 Presidential Election - Indiana". Politico. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- GALOFARO, CLAIRE. "The counties that predict presidential election winners didn't this year. Just look at Terre Haute, Indiana". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
- "Primary and Caucus Printable Calendar". CNN. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
- "Presidential Primary Dates" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
- Secretary of State election results. June 5, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
- "Hoosiers go for Romney; Obama fails to repeat his narrow win here in '08". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
- "2012 Presidential Election Polls - IN". uselectionatlas.org.
- "2012 Presidential General Election Results". uselectionatlas.org.
- "Analysis: Hoosiers back Republicans but want them in the middle". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
- "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts". Daily Kos. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
External links
- The Green Papers: for Indiana
- The Green Papers: Major state elections in chronological order
