| [[File:Indiana Presidential Election Results 2012.svg|180px]]
| County results
| [[File:IN-12-pres-districts el.svg|180px]]
| Congressional district results
RomneyObama
A presidential election was held in Indiana 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 54.13% of the popular vote to the Democratic ticket's 43.93%, thus winning the state's 11 electoral votes.
Indiana and North Carolina were the only two states Obama won in 2008 that flipped to the Republican column in 2012. Although Indiana normally leans Republican, in 2008 Obama had been the first Democrat to win Indiana since 1964, albeit by a narrow 1.03% margin. Unlike North Carolina, Indiana was not seriously contested again by the Obama campaign in 2012; consequently, Romney was able to carry it by a 10.2% margin and win 6 counties Obama 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, political realignment and shift of white working-class voters to Trump, exodus of young people to cities and the rightward turn of exurban areas accelerated by the Trump era have made Vigo County generally uncompetitive to the present day. As of the 2024 presidential election, this is the last 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. This was also the last election in which Indiana was considered a swing state by some outlets.
Primary elections
Democratic primary
Incumbent President Barack Obama ran unopposed, securing 221,466 votes.
Republican primary
The Republican primary took place on May 8, 2012.
Candidate
Votes
Percentage
Projected delegate count
AP
CNN
FOX
Unprojected delegates:
18
19
46
Total:
635,589
100.00%
46
46
46
[[File:America Symbol.svg
14px]] **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%
General election
Campaign
Incumbent Obama did not visit Indiana, although First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton stumped in the state. Meanwhile, Romney visited Indiana several times.
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 three polls had Romney leading Obama 51% to 43%.
Predictions
Source
Ranking
As of
Huffington Post
November 6, 2012
CNN
November 6, 2012
New York Times
November 6, 2012
Washington Post
November 6, 2012
RealClearPolitics
November 6, 2012
Sabato's Crystal Ball
November 5, 2012
FiveThirtyEight
November 6, 2012
Results
2012 United States presidential election in Indiana
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".
By county
County
Mitt Romney
Republican
Barack Obama
Democratic
Various candidates
Other parties
Margin
Total
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
Totals
1,422,872
54.04%
1,154,275
43.84%
55,996
2.13%
268,597
10.20%
2,633,143
Adams
8,937
68.58%
3,806
29.21%
289
2.21%
5,131
39.37%
13,032
Allen
84,613
57.46%
60,036
40.77%
2,597
1.77%
24,577
16.69%
147,246
Bartholomew
18,083
61.52%
10,625
36.15%
684
2.33%
7,458
25.37%
29,392
Benton
2,329
65.09%
1,159
32.39%
90
2.52%
1,170
32.70%
3,578
Blackford
2,711
56.95%
1,927
40.48%
122
2.57%
784
16.47%
4,760
Boone
18,808
67.70%
8,328
29.98%
646
2.32%
10,480
37.72%
27,782
Brown
4,332
56.75%
3,060
40.08%
242
3.17%
1,272
16.67%
7,634
Carroll
4,999
64.01%
2,635
33.74%
176
2.25%
2,364
30.27%
7,810
Cass
8,443
59.62%
5,371
37.93%
347
2.45%
3,072
21.69%
14,161
Clark
25,450
53.83%
20,807
44.01%
1,021
2.16%
4,643
9.82%
47,278
Clay
7,096
65.67%
3,460
32.02%
249
2.31%
3,636
33.65%
10,805
Clinton
6,338
64.13%
3,308
33.47%
237
2.40%
3,030
30.66%
9,883
Crawford
2,421
52.75%
2,041
44.47%
128
2.78%
380
8.28%
4,590
Daviess
7,638
74.42%
2,437
23.74%
189
1.84%
5,201
50.68%
10,264
Dearborn
15,394
68.86%
6,528
29.20%
434
1.94%
8,866
39.66%
22,356
Decatur
7,119
68.94%
2,941
28.48%
267
2.58%
4,178
40.46%
10,327
DeKalb
10,587
64.71%
5,419
33.12%
354
2.17%
5,168
31.59%
16,360
Delaware
21,251
47.15%
22,654
50.26%
1,169
2.59%
-1,403
-3.11%
45,074
Dubois
11,654
62.75%
6,522
35.12%
395
2.13%
5,132
27.63%
18,571
Elkhart
42,378
62.29%
24,399
35.87%
1,252
1.84%
17,979
26.42%
68,029
Fayette
5,045
57.09%
3,555
40.23%
237
2.68%
1,490
16.86%
8,837
Floyd
19,878
56.17%
14,812
41.85%
702
1.98%
5,066
14.32%
35,392
Fountain
4,664
65.59%
2,237
31.46%
210
2.95%
2,427
34.13%
7,111
Franklin
7,424
70.17%
2,909
27.50%
247
2.33%
4,515
42.67%
10,580
Fulton
5,317
65.43%
2,621
32.25%
188
2.32%
2,696
33.18%
8,126
Gibson
9,487
64.45%
4,928
33.48%
306
2.07%
4,559
30.97%
14,721
Grant
15,151
59.82%
9,589
37.86%
589
2.32%
5,562
21.96%
25,329
Greene
8,457
64.36%
4,350
33.10%
334
2.21%
4,107
31.26%
13,141
Hamilton
90,747
66.20%
43,796
31.95%
2,546
1.85%
46,951
34.25%
137,089
Hancock
22,796
69.41%
9,319
28.37%
728
2.22%
13,477
41.04%
32,843
Harrison
10,640
60.21%
6,607
37.39%
424
2.40%
4,033
22.82%
17,671
Hendricks
44,312
66.37%
21,112
31.62%
1,337
2.01%
23,200
34.75%
66,761
Henry
10,838
57.02%
7,613
40.05%
556
2.93%
3,225
16.97%
19,007
Howard
20,327
56.01%
15,135
41.70%
829
2.29%
5,192
14.31%
36,291
Huntington
10,862
68.76%
4,596
29.09%
339
2.15%
6,266
39.67%
15,797
Jackson
10,419
62.34%
5,838
34.93%
455
2.73%
4,581
27.41%
16,712
Jasper
7,955
61.57%
4,672
36.16%
293
2.27%
3,283
25.41%
12,920
Jay
4,645
58.79%
3,063
38.77%
193
2.44%
1,582
20.02%
7,901
Jefferson
7,096
53.94%
5,728
43.54%
332
2.52%
1,368
10.40%
13,156
Jennings
6,120
59.71%
3,821
37.28%
309
3.01%
2,299
22.43%
10,250
Johnson
39,513
68.02%
17,260
29.71%
1,319
2.27%
22,253
38.31%
58,092
Knox
9,612
63.47%
5,228
34.52%
305
2.01%
4,384
28.95%
15,145
Kosciusko
22,558
74.84%
6,862
22.77%
720
2.39%
15,696
52.07%
30,140
LaGrange
6,231
66.88%
2,898
31.11%
187
2.01%
3,333
35.77%
9,316
Lake
68,431
33.85%
130,897
64.75%
2,819
1.40%
-62,466
-30.90%
202,147
LaPorte
18,615
42.62%
24,107
55.19%
959
2.19%
-5,492
-12.57%
43,681
Lawrence
11,622
65.04%
5,779
32.34%
469
2.62%
5,843
32.70%
17,870
Madison
26,769
50.98%
24,407
46.48%
1,334
2.54%
2,362
4.50%
52,510
Marion
136,509
37.92%
216,336
60.10%
7,127
1.98%
-79,827
-22.18%
359,972
Marshall
11,260
63.25%
6,137
34.48%
404
2.27%
5,123
28.77%
17,801
Martin
3,262
68.78%
1,351
28.48%
130
2.74%
1,911
40.30%
4,743
Miami
8,174
63.79%
4,222
32.95%
417
3.26%
3,952
30.84%
12,813
Monroe
22,481
39.29%
33,436
58.43%
1,306
2.28%
-10,955
-19.14%
57,223
Montgomery
9,824
68.03%
4,271
29.58%
345
2.39%
5,553
38.45%
14,440
Morgan
19,591
69.17%
7,969
28.13%
765
2.70%
11,622
41.04%
28,325
Newton
3,291
58.02%
2,212
39.00%
169
2.98%
1,079
19.02%
5,672
Noble
10,680
65.63%
5,229
32.13%
364
2.24%
5,451
33.50%
16,273
Ohio
1,759
62.40%
994
35.26%
66
2.34%
765
27.14%
2,819
Orange
4,617
59.38%
2,939
37.80%
220
2.82%
1,678
21.58%
7,776
Owen
5,062
62.39%
2,823
34.80%
228
2.81%
2,239
27.59%
8,113
Parke
4,234
64.85%
2,110
32.32%
185
2.83%
2,124
32.53%
6,529
Perry
3,403
43.21%
4,316
54.81%
156
1.98%
-913
-11.60%
7,875
Pike
3,627
61.20%
2,125
35.86%
174
2.94%
1,502
25.34%
5,926
Porter
34,406
46.94%
37,252
50.82%
1,645
2.24%
-2,846
-3.88%
73,303
Posey
7,430
60.77%
4,533
37.08%
263
2.15%
2,897
23.69%
12,226
Pulaski
3,366
62.34%
1,899
35.17%
134
2.49%
1,467
27.17%
5,399
Putnam
9,005
65.12%
4,507
32.59%
317
2.29%
4,498
32.53%
13,829
Randolph
6,218
60.95%
3,769
36.94%
215
2.11%
2,449
24.01%
10,202
Ripley
7,484
67.94%
3,241
29.42%
290
2.64%
4,243
38.52%
11,015
Rush
4,633
65.94%
2,221
31.61%
172
2.45%
2,412
34.33%
7,026
Scott
4,539
52.05%
3,998
45.85%
183
2.10%
541
6.20%
8,720
Shelby
10,978
65.50%
5,359
31.97%
423
2.53%
5,619
33.53%
16,760
Spencer
5,515
56.60%
4,026
41.32%
203
2.08%
1,489
15.28%
9,744
St. Joseph
52,578
47.36%
56,460
50.86%
1,971
1.78%
-3,882
-3.50%
111,009
Starke
4,738
54.03%
3,809
43.44%
222
2.53%
929
10.59%
8,769
Steuben
8,547
62.41%
4,853
35.44%
295
2.15%
3,694
26.97%
13,695
Sullivan
4,902
59.13%
3,191
38.49%
197
2.38%
1,711
20.64%
8,290
Switzerland
1,872
55.11%
1,437
42.30%
88
2.59%
435
12.81%
3,397
Tippecanoe
28,757
50.40%
26,711
46.81%
1,595
2.79%
2,046
3.59%
57,063
Tipton
4,773
64.74%
2,432
32.99%
168
2.27%
2,341
31.75%
7,373
Union
2,022
65.14%
1,018
32.80%
64
2.06%
1,004
32.34%
3,104
Vanderburgh
39,389
54.26%
31,725
43.71%
1,474
2.03%
7,664
10.55%
72,588
Vermillion
3,426
51.89%
2,979
45.12%
198
2.99%
447
6.77%
6,603
Vigo
19,369
48.42%
19,712
49.27%
924
2.31%
-343
-0.85%
40,005
Wabash
8,644
67.03%
3,973
30.81%
278
2.16%
4,671
36.22%
12,895
Warren
2,377
62.55%
1,324
34.84%
99
2.61%
1,053
27.71%
3,800
Warrick
17,680
62.19%
10,181
35.81%
566
2.00%
7,499
26.38%
28,427
Washington
6,533
60.85%
3,909
36.41%
295
2.74%
2,624
24.44%
10,737
Wayne
14,321
56.21%
10,591
41.57%
565
2.22%
3,730
14.64%
25,477
Wells
9,256
71.46%
3,436
26.53%
260
2.01%
5,820
44.93%
12,952
White
5,970
60.09%
3,637
36.61%
328
3.30%
2,333
23.48%
9,935
Whitley
10,258
68.24%
4,420
29.40%
354
2.36%
5,838
38.84%
15,032
County flips: {{col-begin}}
DemocraticRepublican
]]
;Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
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