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2012 United States presidential election in Minnesota

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2012 United States presidential election in Minnesota

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FieldValue
election_name2012 United States presidential election in Minnesota
countryMinnesota
flag_imageFile:Flag of Minnesota (1983-2024).svg
typepresidential
flag_year1983
ongoingno
previous_election2008 United States presidential election in Minnesota
previous_year2008
next_election2016 United States presidential election in Minnesota
next_year2016
election_dateNovember 6, 2012
turnout76.42%
image_sizex200px
image1President Barack Obama, 2012 portrait crop.jpg
nominee1**Barack Obama**
party1Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party
home_state1Illinois
running_mate1**Joe Biden**
electoral_vote1**10**
popular_vote1**1,546,167**
percentage1**52.65%**
image2Mitt Romney by Gage Skidmore 6 cropped.jpg
nominee2Mitt Romney
party2Republican Party of Minnesota
home_state2Massachusetts
running_mate2Paul Ryan
electoral_vote20
popular_vote21,320,225
percentage244.96%
map_image{{Switcher
titlePresident
before_electionBarack Obama
before_partyMinnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
after_electionBarack Obama
after_partyMinnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party

Main article: 2012 United States presidential election

| [[File:Minnesota Presidential Election Results 2012.svg|320px]] | County results | [[File:MN-12-pres-districts.svg|320px]] | Congressional district results | [[File:MN President 2012.svg|320px]] | Precinct results}} Obama Romney Tie/No Data

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 DFL 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.

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. Big Stone County voted Republican for the first time since 1980, and Pine County since 1972. Obama thus became the first Democrat to win the White House without carrying Big Stone County since Grover Cleveland in 1892. 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 2024 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, or won a majority of congressional districts in the state.

Caucuses

Democratic caucuses

Main article: 2012 Democratic Party presidential primaries

2012 Minnesota Democratic caucusCandidateVotesPercentageDelegates
[[File:America Symbol.svg14x14px]] **Barack Obama** **(incumbent)****16,733****96.30%****91**
Uncommitted6433.70%0

Republican caucuses

Main article: 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries

Santorum:
Paul: Tie:

The Republican caucuses were held on February 7, 2012. 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 ReportingCandidateVotesDelegatesTotalPercentageTotalPercentage
Rick Santorum**21,988****44.95%**25%
[[File:America Symbol.svg14px]] **Ron Paul**13,28227.15%**32****80%**
Mitt Romney8,24016.85%12.5%
Newt Gingrich5,26310.76%00%
Write-in1430.29%00%
Unpledged delegates:512.5%
**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.
Convention ResultsCandidate1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8thStateParty
leadersTotal
[[File:America Symbol.svg14px]] Ron Paul**2****3****3****3****3****3**1**2****12**0**32**
Rick Santorum000000**2**0002
Mitt Romney00000000101
Unknown1135
**Total****24****13****3****40**

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
Huffington PostNovember 6, 2012
CNNNovember 6, 2012
New York TimesNovember 6, 2012
Washington PostNovember 6, 2012
RealClearPoliticsNovember 6, 2012
Sabato's Crystal BallNovember 5, 2012
FiveThirtyEightNovember 6, 2012

Results

2012 United States presidential election in MinnesotaPartyCandidateRunning mateVotesPercentageElectoral votesMinnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party}}; width: 3px"Republican Party (United States)}}; width: 3px"Libertarian Party (United States)}}; width: 3px"Green Party (United States)}}; width: 3px"
**Democratic (DFL)****Barack Obama** **(incumbent)****Joe Biden** **(incumbent)****1,546,167****52.65%****10**
RepublicanMitt RomneyPaul Ryan1,320,22544.96%0
LibertarianGary JohnsonJim Gray35,0981.20%0
GreenJill SteinCheri Honkala13,0230.44%0
ConstitutionVirgil GoodeJim Clymer3,7220.13%0
GrassrootsJim CarlsonGeorge McMahon3,1490.11%0
JusticeRocky AndersonLuis J. Rodriguez1,9960.07%0
Constitutional GovernmentDean MorstadJosh Franke-Hyland1,0920.04%0
Socialist WorkersJames HarrisMaura DeLuca1,0510.04%0
Socialism and LiberationPeta LindsayYari Osorio3970.01%0
Write-Ins10,6410.36%0
**Totals****2,936,561****100.00%****10**
Voter turnout (eligible voters)75.74%

By county

CountyBarack Obama
DFLMitt Romney
RepublicanVarious candidates
Other partiesMarginTotal votes cast#%#%#%#%Totals1,546,16752.65%1,320,22544.96%70,1692.39%225,9427.69%2,936,561
Aitkin4,41248.26%4,53349.58%1972.16%-121-1.32%9,142
Anoka88,61447.52%93,43050.11%4,4212.37%-4,816-2.59%186,465
Becker6,82941.69%9,20456.18%3492.13%-2,375-14.49%16,382
Beltrami11,81853.59%9,63743.70%5962.71%2,1819.89%22,051
Benton8,17341.66%10,84955.30%5973.04%-2,676-13.64%19,619
Big Stone1,34548.23%1,38549.66%592.11%-40-1.43%2,789
Blue Earth18,16453.00%14,91643.52%1,1943.48%3,2489.48%34,274
Brown5,63040.42%7,93856.99%3612.59%-2,308-16.57%13,929
Carlton11,38961.78%6,58635.72%4612.50%4,80326.06%18,436
Carver20,74539.22%31,15558.90%9991.88%-10,410-19.68%52,899
Cass6,85842.49%8,95755.49%3262.02%-2,099-13.00%16,141
Chippewa3,08349.72%2,96747.85%1512.43%1161.87%6,201
Chisago12,52442.54%16,22755.12%6902.34%-3,703-12.58%29,441
Clay15,20852.65%12,92044.73%7582.62%2,2887.92%28,886
Clearwater1,75341.77%2,35956.21%852.02%-606-14.44%4,197
Cook1,99359.99%1,22136.75%1083.26%77223.24%3,322
Cottonwood2,43341.50%3,31656.57%1131.93%-883-15.07%5,862
Crow Wing14,76042.27%19,41555.60%7452.13%-4,655-13.33%34,920
Dakota116,25550.37%109,51647.45%5,0502.18%6,7392.92%230,821
Dodge4,48743.45%5,52253.47%3183.08%-1,035-10.02%10,327
Douglas8,65341.30%11,88456.72%4161.98%-3,231-15.42%20,953
Faribault3,40744.17%4,10453.21%2022.62%-697-9.04%7,713
Fillmore5,71352.45%4,91345.11%2662.44%8007.34%10,892
Freeborn9,32655.82%6,96941.72%4112.46%2,35714.10%16,706
Goodhue12,21247.33%12,98650.33%6032.34%-774-3.00%25,801
Grant1,64747.23%1,74850.13%922.64%-101-2.90%3,487
Hennepin423,98262.34%240,07335.30%16,0102.36%183,90927.04%680,065
Houston5,28150.56%4,95147.40%2142.04%3303.16%10,446
Hubbard4,67640.59%6,62257.48%2221.93%-1,946-16.89%11,520
Isanti8,02439.69%11,67557.75%5182.56%-3,651-18.06%20,217
Itasca12,85253.73%10,50143.90%5662.37%2,3519.83%23,919
Jackson2,26841.77%3,04456.06%1182.17%-776-14.29%5,430
Kanabec3,59344.09%4,32853.10%2292.81%-735-9.01%8,150
Kandiyohi9,80545.68%11,24052.36%4201.96%-1,435-6.68%21,465
Kittson1,24151.28%1,09545.25%843.47%1466.03%2,420
Koochiching3,45153.44%2,84143.99%1662.57%6109.45%6,458
Lac qui Parle1,97449.55%1,93848.64%721.81%360.91%3,984
Lake4,04359.28%2,61038.27%1672.45%1,43321.01%6,820
Lake of the Woods85938.45%1,30658.46%693.09%-447-20.01%2,234
Le Sueur6,75345.64%7,71552.15%3272.21%-962-6.51%14,795
Lincoln1,42945.80%1,59551.12%963.08%-166-5.32%3,120
Lyon5,46544.12%6,59453.23%3292.65%-1,129-9.11%12,388
Mahnomen1,27658.48%87139.92%351.60%40518.56%2,182
Marshall1,99842.53%2,56954.68%1312.79%-571-12.15%4,698
Martin4,05436.96%6,65760.69%2572.35%-2,603-23.73%10,968
McLeod6,96837.56%11,06959.66%5162.78%-4,101-22.10%18,553
Meeker4,96940.68%6,91356.60%3322.72%-1,944-15.92%12,214
Mille Lacs5,82944.53%6,95153.10%3112.37%-1,122-8.57%13,091
Morrison6,15336.81%10,15960.78%4022.41%-4,006-23.97%16,714
Mower11,12960.03%6,93837.42%4722.55%4,19122.61%18,539
Murray2,16045.31%2,50452.53%1032.16%-344-7.22%4,767
Nicollet9,65252.58%8,21444.75%4912.67%1,4387.83%18,357
Nobles3,79344.52%4,58153.77%1461.71%-788-9.25%8,520
Norman1,73053.94%1,38443.16%932.90%34610.78%3,207
Olmsted39,33850.23%36,83247.03%2,1462.74%2,5063.20%78,316
Otter Tail12,16538.41%18,86059.55%6452.04%-6,695-21.14%31,670
Pennington3,02446.40%3,30550.71%1882.89%-281-4.31%6,517
Pine6,75048.34%6,84549.02%3702.64%-95-0.68%13,965
Pipestone1,72537.13%2,82660.83%952.04%-1,101-23.70%4,646
Polk6,77346.10%7,61551.83%3052.07%-842-5.73%14,693
Pope2,98147.73%3,14250.30%1231.97%-161-2.57%6,246
Ramsey184,93866.33%86,80031.13%7,0842.54%98,13835.20%278,822
Red Lake92846.99%97849.52%693.49%-50-2.53%1,975
Redwood3,00838.61%4,57058.66%2122.73%-1,562-20.05%7,790
Renville3,39444.02%4,14953.81%1672.17%-755-9.79%7,710
Rice17,05452.85%14,38444.58%8292.57%2,6708.27%32,267
Rock1,94640.16%2,81057.99%901.85%-864-17.83%4,846
Roseau2,77237.70%4,40959.97%1712.33%-1,637-22.27%7,352
St. Louis73,37863.48%39,13133.85%3,0852.67%34,24729.63%115,594
Scott29,71241.47%40,32356.28%1,6122.25%-10,611-14.81%71,647
Sherburne17,59737.84%27,84859.88%1,0642.28%-10,251-22.04%46,509
Sibley2,91637.31%4,69360.05%2062.64%-1,777-22.74%7,815
Stearns33,55142.75%43,01554.81%1,9112.44%-9,464-12.06%78,477
Steele8,70645.52%9,90351.78%5152.70%-1,197-6.26%19,124
Stevens2,74248.51%2,76648.94%1442.55%-24-0.43%5,652
Swift2,75153.74%2,24843.91%1202.35%5039.83%5,119
Todd4,81940.83%6,71956.93%2652.24%-1,900-16.10%11,803
Traverse94351.06%86146.62%432.32%824.44%1,847
Wabasha5,41546.03%6,04951.42%2992.55%-634-5.39%11,763
Wadena2,49236.70%4,14361.01%1562.29%-1,651-24.31%6,791
Waseca4,37044.83%5,11652.49%2612.68%-746-7.66%9,747
Washington70,20349.39%69,13748.64%2,7931.97%1,0660.75%142,133
Watonwan2,49448.48%2,51748.93%1332.59%-23-0.45%5,144
Wilkin1,25839.04%1,88458.47%802.49%-626-19.43%3,222
Winona14,98055.01%11,48042.16%7722.83%3,50012.85%27,232
Wright25,74137.96%40,46659.67%1,6092.37%-14,725-21.71%67,816
Yellow Medicine2,46545.53%2,80651.83%1432.64%-341-6.30%5,414
County Flips: {{col-begin}}

Democratic Republican ]]

;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)

By congressional district

Obama won six of eight congressional districts, including two held by Republicans. Romney won two, including one held by a Democrat.

DistrictObamaRomneyRepresentative
**49%**48%Tim Walz
**48.9%**48.8%John Kline
**49.5%**48.7%Erik Paulsen
**62%**35%Betty McCollum
**73%**24%Keith Ellison
41%**56%**Michele Bachmann
44%**54%**Collin Peterson
**51%**46%Rick Nolan

References

References

  1. "Office of the State Of Minnesota Secretary of State".
  2. (2012-04-30). "Will Vermont's 27-Cycle GOP Presidential Streak Ever Be Broken?".
  3. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
  4. "Presidential Preference by County". Minnesota Secretary of State.
  5. Scheck, Tom. (September 30, 2011). "MNGOP keeping Feb. 7 Caucus date". Minnesota Public Radio.
  6. "Election Reporting System: Statewide Results for Republican Party". Minnesota Secretary of State.
  7. (April 15, 2012). "Paul supporters chosen as delegates in three congressional districts". Pierce County Herald.
  8. Anderson, Pat. (21 April 2012). "Ron Paul gets 20/24 Congressional District delegates. CD4 3, CD2 3, CD8 2, CD1 2 #mngop #mnleg". Twitter.
  9. (April 22, 2012). "Rep. Paul supporters elected to half of Minnesota GOP convention delegation". Pierce County Herald.
  10. "Ron Paul Wins Minnesota State Convention".
  11. "Republican Party of Minnesota Events".
  12. "Huffington Post Election Dashboard". [[HuffPost]].
  13. "America's Choice 2012 Election Center: CNN Electoral Map". [[CNN]].
  14. "Election 2012 - The Electoral Map: Building a Path to Victory". [[The New York Times]].
  15. "2012 Presidential Election Results". The Washington Post.
  16. "RealClearPolitics - 2012 Election Maps - Battle for White House".
  17. "PROJECTION: OBAMA WILL LIKELY WIN SECOND TERM".
  18. "Nate Silver's political calculations predict 2012 election outcome".
  19. "Minnesota Secretary of State".
  20. "Home - Election Results".
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