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2012 United States presidential election in Wisconsin

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2012 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
← 2008 November 6, 2012 2016 →
Turnout70.35% Increase [1]
 
Nominee Barack Obama Mitt Romney
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Illinois Massachusetts
Running mate Joe Biden Paul Ryan
Electoral vote 10 0
Popular vote 1,620,985 1,407,966
Percentage 52.83% 45.89%
County Results
President before election

Barack Obama
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Barack Obama
Democratic

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The 2012 United States presidential election in Wisconsin 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. Wisconsin voters chose 10 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.

Obama won the state of Wisconsin with 52.83% of the vote to Romney's 45.89%, a 6.94% margin of victory.[2] While this represented half the victory margin of Obama's 13.91% win in 2008, when he won 59 of 72 counties and 7 of 8 congressional districts, it was still a better performance than that of John Kerry's 0.38% margin in 2004 or Al Gore's 0.22% margin in 2000. Obama's win was also surprisingly comfortable in spite of the fact that Wisconsin was the home state of Republican Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan, making him the first Republican Vice Presidential nominee to lose their home state since Jack Kemp lost New York in 1996. Obama's win was attributed to victories in Milwaukee, the state's largest city; Madison, the state capital; northeastern Wisconsin; and the Driftless Region. Romney's strength was concentrated in the loyally Republican Milwaukee suburbs, particularly the WOW counties (Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha), where he carried a combined 67.03% of the vote to Obama's 32.00%. He also flipped 24 counties in the Northeast and Central Plain regions, though most of them were rural and therefore insufficient to overcome Obama's aforementioned victories.[3][4]

As of 2020, this is the last time the Democratic presidential nominee won the following counties: Adams, Buffalo, Columbia, Crawford, Dunn, Forest, Grant, Jackson, Juneau, Kenosha, Lafayette, Lincoln, Marquette, Pepin, Price, Racine, Richland, Sawyer, Trempealeau, Vernon, and Winnebago. This is also the most recent cycle in which a Republican won Waukeusha county, a traditionally Republican stronghold in the state, with more than 65% of its votes. This is also the last time a candidate of either party won Wisconsin with more than 50% of the vote as well as the last time Wisconsin voted more Democratic than the nation as a whole.

Primaries

Democratic primary

President Barack Obama ran unopposed in the Democratic Primary, winning 293,914 votes, or 97.89%. Uncommitted ballots received 5,092 votes, or 1.89% of the vote, while 849 votes, 0.28%, were scattered. 111 delegates, all of which were pledged to Obama were sent to the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.[5]

Republican primary

2012 Wisconsin Republican presidential primary
← 2008 April 3, 2012 (2012-04-03) 2016 →
 
Candidate Mitt Romney Rick Santorum
Home state Massachusetts Pennsylvania
Delegate count 33 9
Popular vote 346,876 290,139
Percentage 44.03% 36.83%
 
Candidate Ron Paul Newt Gingrich
Home state Texas Georgia
Delegate count 0 0
Popular vote 87,858 45,978
Percentage 11.15% 5.83%
Wisconsin results by county
  Mitt Romney
  Rick Santorum

The 2012 Wisconsin Republican presidential primary took place on April 3, 2012,[6][7] the same day as the primaries in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Mitt Romney edged out a victory, with 44.03% of the vote and 33 delegates, with former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania coming in second with 36.83% of the vote and 9 delegates. No other candidates won any delegates nor counties, though representative Ron Paul of Texas's 14th district received 11.15% and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich received 5.84%. All other candidates received less than 1%. Romney's strength was concentrated in Southeast Wisconsin, carrying Milwaukee and all of its suburbs (including the Kenosha and Racine as well as the ancestrally Republican counties of Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha), as well as Madison. Santorum's most significant victories were in Western Wisconsin and in Green Bay and its respective suburbs.[5]

2012 Wisconsin Republican presidential primary[5]
Candidate Votes Percentage Delegates
Mitt Romney 346,876 44.03% 33
Rick Santorum 290,139 36.83% 9
Ron Paul 87,858 11.15% 0
Newt Gingrich 45,978 5.84% 0
Michele Bachmann 6,045 0.77% 0
Jon Huntsman 5,083 0.65% 0
Uninstructed 4,200 0.53% 0
Scattering 1,668 0.21% 0
Total: 787,847 100% 42

General election

Results

Although Republican Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan was from Wisconsin, representing the 1st district in Congress, the Republican Party lost by around a seven-point margin, which was, albeit an improved loss from Obama's landslide 13.91% margin in 2008,[8] a crucial loss.

2012 United States presidential election in Wisconsin
Party Candidate Running mate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Barack Obama Joe Biden 1,620,985 52.83% 10
Republican Mitt Romney Paul Ryan 1,407,966 45.89% 0
Libertarian Gary Johnson Jim Gray 20,439 0.67% 0
Green Jill Stein Cheri Honkala 7,665 0.25% 0
Write-Ins Write-Ins 5,170 0.17% 0
Constitution Virgil Goode Jim Clymer 4,930 0.16% 0
Socialist Equality Jerry White Phyllis Scherrer 553 0.02% 0
Socialism and Liberation Gloria La Riva Filberto Ramirez Jr. 526 0.02% 0
Justice Rocky Anderson Luis J. Rodriguez 112 0.00% 0
Peace & Freedom Roseanne Barr Cindy Sheehan 88 0.00% 0
Totals 3,068,434 100.00% 10

Results by county

County[8] Obama Votes Romney Votes Others Votes Total
Adams 53.87% 5,542 45.14% 4,644 0.98% 101 10,287
Ashland 64.49% 5,399 33.68% 2,820 1.83% 153 8,372
Barron 47.99% 10,890 50.43% 11,443 1.58% 359 22,692
Bayfield 61.64% 6,033 36.84% 3,606 1.52% 149 9,788
Brown 48.50% 62,526 50.29% 64,836 1.21% 1,566 128,928
Buffalo 50.72% 3,570 47.79% 3,364 1.49% 105 7,039
Burnett 45.94% 3,986 52.44% 4,550 1.62% 141 8,677
Calumet 43.49% 11,489 55.03% 14,539 1.48% 392 26,420
Chippewa 49.26% 15,237 49.53% 15,322 1.21% 373 30,932
Clark 44.72% 6,172 53.71% 7,412 1.57% 217 13,801
Columbia 56.03% 17,175 42.49% 13,026 1.48% 453 30,654
Crawford 59.22% 4,629 39.24% 3,067 1.55% 121 7,817
Dane 71.03% 216,071 27.50% 83,644 1.47% 4,466 304,181
Dodge 42.17% 18,762 56.67% 25,211 1.16% 515 44,488
Door 52.95% 9,357 45.96% 8,121 1.09% 193 17,671
Douglas 64.92% 14,863 33.66% 7,705 1.42% 326 22,894
Dunn 51.46% 11,316 46.49% 10,224 2.06% 452 21,992
Eau Claire 55.95% 30,666 42.43% 23,256 1.61% 884 54,806
Florence 36.30% 953 62.67% 1,645 1.03% 27 2,625
Fond du Lac 41.91% 22,379 56.84% 30,355 1.25% 668 53,402
Forest 52.17% 2,425 46.73% 2,172 1.10% 51 4,648
Grant 56.06% 13,594 42.29% 10,255 1.65% 399 24,248
Green 58.00% 11,206 40.66% 7,857 1.34% 259 19,322
Green Lake 39.20% 3,793 59.76% 5,782 1.03% 100 9,675
Iowa 64.66% 8,105 34.20% 4,287 1.13% 142 12,534
Iron 49.12% 1,784 49.28% 1,790 1.60% 58 3,632
Jackson 56.89% 5,298 41.88% 3,900 1.23% 115 9,313
Jefferson 45.52% 20,158 53.11% 23,517 1.37% 606 44,281
Juneau 52.78% 6,242 45.75% 5,411 1.47% 174 11,827
Kenosha 55.46% 44,867 43.24% 34,977 1.30% 1,053 80,897
Kewaunee 46.69% 5,153 52.07% 5,747 1.24% 137 11,037
La Crosse 57.82% 36,693 40.58% 25,751 1.60% 1,018 63,462
Lafayette 57.04% 4,536 41.68% 3,314 1.28% 102 7,952
Langlade 43.47% 4,573 55.29% 5,816 1.24% 130 10,519
Lincoln 49.70% 7,563 48.99% 7,455 1.30% 198 15,216
Manitowoc 47.88% 20,403 50.69% 21,604 1.43% 610 42,617
Marathon 46.32% 32,363 52.41% 36,617 1.26% 882 69,862
Marinette 47.56% 9,882 51.11% 10,619 1.33% 276 20,777
Marquette 49.52% 4,014 49.25% 3,992 1.22% 99 8,105
Menominee 86.49% 1,191 13.00% 179 0.51% 7 1,377
Milwaukee 67.49% 332,438 31.45% 154,924 1.06% 5,214 492,576
Monroe 48.83% 9,515 49.65% 9,675 1.51% 295 19,485
Oconto 44.64% 8,865 54.09% 10,741 1.27% 253 19,859
Oneida 48.27% 10,452 50.42% 10,917 1.31% 283 21,652
Outagamie 48.28% 45,659 50.09% 47,372 1.63% 1,538 94,569
Ozaukee 34.32% 19,159 64.63% 36,077 1.04% 581 55,817
Pepin 50.72% 1,876 48.50% 1,794 0.78% 29 3,699
Pierce 48.69% 10,235 49.46% 10,397 1.85% 388 21,020
Polk 44.62% 10,073 53.58% 12,094 1.80% 406 22,573
Portage 56.12% 22,075 42.24% 16,615 1.64% 647 39,337
Price 49.20% 3,887 49.16% 3,884 1.65% 130 7,901
Racine 51.28% 53,008 47.74% 49,347 0.98% 1,009 103,364
Richland 57.41% 4,969 41.28% 3,573 1.31% 113 8,655
Rock 61.00% 49,219 37.82% 30,517 1.18% 954 80,690
Rusk 47.24% 3,397 51.12% 3,676 1.64% 118 7,191
Sauk 58.68% 18,736 40.21% 12,838 1.11% 353 31,927
Sawyer 49.71% 4,486 49.22% 4,442 1.07% 97 9,025
Shawano 44.38% 9,000 54.35% 11,022 1.27% 257 20,279
Sheboygan 44.56% 27,918 54.38% 34,072 1.06% 661 62,651
St Croix 43.07% 19,910 55.17% 25,503 1.76% 812 46,225
Taylor 39.56% 3,763 58.88% 5,601 1.56% 148 9,512
Trempealeau 56.41% 7,605 42.33% 5,707 1.25% 169 13,481
Vernon 56.37% 8,044 41.64% 5,942 1.98% 283 14,269
Vilas 42.99% 5,951 55.98% 7,749 1.03% 142 13,842
Walworth 43.12% 22,552 55.46% 29,006 1.42% 745 52,303
Washburn 47.88% 4,447 50.60% 4,699 1.52% 141 9,287
Washington 29.42% 23,166 69.55% 54,765 1.03% 811 78,742
Waukesha 32.31% 78,779 66.76% 162,798 0.93% 2,279 243,856
Waupaca 44.81% 11,578 54.19% 14,002 1.01% 260 25,840
Waushara 44.28% 5,335 54.47% 6,562 1.25% 151 12,048
Winnebago 50.97% 45,449 47.24% 42,122 1.80% 1,602 89,173
Wood 47.77% 18,581 50.65% 19,704 1.58% 615 38,900
Total 52.83% 1,620,985 45.89% 1,407,966 1.29% 39,483 3,068,434

Counties that swung flipped Democratic to Republican

See also

References

  1. ^ "Wisconsin Voter Turnout Statistics | Wisconsin Elections Commission".
  2. ^ "Wisconsin Gov Accountability Board" (PDF). Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  3. ^ "More Wisconsin Elections Results". Wisconsin Elections Commission. Archived from the original on 2016-10-14. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  4. ^ Savicki, Drew (September 14, 2020). "The Road to 270: Wisconsin". 270toWin. Archived from the original on 2020-09-15. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Canvass Results for 2012 Presidential Preferenrce and Spring Election - 4/3/2012" (PDF). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. April 3, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 15, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2021 – via Wayback Machine.
  6. ^ "Primary and Caucus Printable Calendar". CNN. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  7. ^ "Presidential Primary Dates" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  8. ^ a b c "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Archived from the original on 2006-04-12. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
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