2012 United States presidential election in Georgia

The 2012 United States presidential election in Georgia took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 General Election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Georgia voters chose 16 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.

2012 United States presidential election in Georgia

← 2008November 6, 20122016 →
Turnout61.9%[1] Increase 10.1 pp
 
NomineeMitt RomneyBarack Obama
PartyRepublicanDemocratic
Home stateMassachusettsIllinois
Running matePaul RyanJoe Biden
Electoral vote160
Popular vote2,078,6881,773,827
Percentage53.30%45.48%


President before election

Barack Obama
Democratic

Elected President

Barack Obama
Democratic

Romney won Georgia by a 7.82% margin, an improvement from 2008 when John McCain won by 5.20%. Romney received 53.19% of the vote to Obama's 45.39%. Early County flipped from supporting the Republican candidate to the Democratic candidate, while Chattahoochee flipped from the Democratic column to the Republican column.

Obama remains the only Democrat to ever win two terms in office without carrying Georgia either time. Georgia is also one of only two states that voted against Obama in both 2008 and 2012 that his vice president Joe Biden would go on to win in 2020, the other being Arizona. As of 2020, this is the last time a Democratic presidential nominee won the rural Black Belt counties of Baker, Dooly, Early, Peach, Quitman, and Twiggs, and the last time that the suburban Atlanta counties of Gwinnett, Henry, and Cobb would vote Republican in a presidential race. This is also the last time that Georgia has backed the losing candidate in a presidential election and the last time a Democrat won the presidency without winning Georgia. This remains the most recent election where Georgia voted to the left of Arizona and to the right of Iowa and Ohio.

Primary elections

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Democratic primary

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Incumbent president Barack Obama was unopposed in the Georgia primary, therefore winning all of the state's delegates.

Republican primary

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Georgia Republican primary, 2012

← 2008March 6, 2012 (2012-03-06)2016 →
 
CandidateNewt GingrichMitt Romney
Home stateGeorgiaMassachusetts
Delegate count5221
Popular vote425,395233,611
Percentage47.2%25.9%

 
CandidateRick SantorumRon Paul
Home statePennsylvaniaTexas
Delegate count30
Popular vote176,25959,100
Percentage19.6%6.6%

Georgia results by county
  Newt Gingrich
  Mitt Romney

The 2012 Georgia Republican primary took place on March 6, 2012.[2][3]

Georgia has 76 delegates to the Republic National Convention. The three super delegates are awarded winner-take-all to the statewide winner. Thirty-one delegates are awarded proportionately among candidates winning at least 20% of the vote statewide. Another 42 delegates are allocated by congressional district, 3 delegates for each district. If a candidate gets a majority in a district, he wins all 3 delegates. If no one get majority, the delegates are split 2 and 1 between the top two candidates respectively.[4]

Georgia Republican primary, 2012[5]
CandidateVotesPercentageEstimated national delegates [6]
Newt Gingrich425,39547.2%54
Mitt Romney233,61125.9%19
Rick Santorum176,25919.6%3
Ron Paul59,1006.6%0
Jon Huntsman Jr.1,8130.2%0
Michele Bachmann1,7140.2%0
Rick Perry1,6960.2%0
Buddy Roemer1,1420.13%0
Gary Johnson7400.08%0
Undecided or Other0
Totals901,470100.0%76
Key:Withdrew prior to contest.

General election

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Candidate ballot access

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  • Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan, Republican
  • Barack Obama/Joseph Biden, Democratic
  • Gary Johnson/James P. Gray, Libertarian

Write-in candidate access:

  • Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala, Green
  • Virgil Goode/Jim Clymer, Constitution
  • Rocky Anderson/Luis J. Rodriguez, Justice

Results

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Out of a total of 6,066,961 registered voters at the time of the presidential election, turnout for the general election was 3,908,369, or 64.42% of registered voters.

United States presidential election in Georgia, 2012[7]
PartyCandidateRunning mateVotesPercentageElectoral votes
RepublicanMitt RomneyPaul Ryan2,078,68853.19%16
DemocraticBarack Obama (incumbent)Joe Biden (incumbent)1,773,82745.39%0
LibertarianGary JohnsonJim Gray45,3241.16%0
Green (Write-in)Jill SteinCheri Honkala1,5160.04%0
Constitution (Write-in)Virgil GoodeJim Clymer4320.01%0
Justice (Write-in)Rocky AndersonLuis J. Rodriguez1540.00%0
Other Write-insOther Write-ins1090.00%0
Totals3,900,050100.00%16
Voter turnout (registered voters)71.36%

By county

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CountyMitt Romney
Republican
Barack Obama
Democratic
Various candidates
Other parties
MarginTotal
#%#%#%#%
Appling5,23373.78%1,75824.78%1021.44%3,47549.00%7,093
Atkinson1,93866.67%93031.99%391.34%1,00834.68%2,907
Bacon3,09378.58%79120.10%521.32%2,30258.48%3,936
Baker78549.34%79449.91%120.75%-9-0.57%1,591
Baldwin7,58946.64%8,48352.14%1981.22%-894-5.50%16,270
Banks5,35486.30%78012.57%701.13%4,57473.73%6,204
Barrow18,72574.10%6,02823.85%5172.05%12,69750.25%25,270
Bartow26,87674.87%8,39623.39%6251.74%18,48051.48%35,897
Ben Hill3,39656.88%2,51242.08%621.04%88414.80%5,970
Berrien4,84377.81%1,27320.45%1081.74%3,57057.36%6,224
Bibb25,62339.54%38,58559.54%5950.92%-12,962-20.00%64,803
Bleckley3,58772.91%1,26925.79%641.30%2,31847.12%4,920
Brantley4,96482.46%93915.60%1171.94%4,02566.86%6,020
Brooks3,55452.62%3,13846.46%620.92%4166.16%6,754
Bryan9,56070.94%3,70727.51%2091.55%5,85343.43%13,476
Bulloch14,17458.73%9,59339.75%3661.52%4,58118.98%24,133
Burke4,30143.92%5,40555.19%870.89%-1,104-11.27%9,793
Butts6,30667.09%2,96831.57%1261.34%3,33835.52%9,400
Calhoun88340.34%1,29859.30%80.36%-415-18.96%2,189
Camden11,34362.84%6,37735.33%3301.83%4,96627.51%18,050
Candler2,34466.38%1,15732.77%300.85%1,18733.61%3,531
Carroll28,28067.86%12,68830.45%7041.69%15,59237.41%41,672
Catoosa17,85875.06%5,36522.55%5682.39%12,49352.51%23,791
Charlton2,52767.12%1,19731.79%411.09%1,33035.33%3,765
Chatham47,20443.38%60,24655.36%1,3711.26%-13,042-11.98%108,821
Chattahoochee73549.23%72948.83%291.94%60.40%1,493
Chattooga5,45269.28%2,23228.36%1852.36%3,22040.92%7,869
Cherokee76,51477.73%19,84120.16%2,0842.11%56,67357.57%98,439
Clarke13,81534.10%25,43162.77%1,2693.13%-11,616-28.67%40,515
Clay53738.28%86261.44%40.28%-325-23.16%1,403
Clayton14,16414.72%81,47984.67%5870.61%-67,315-69.95%96,230
Clinch1,59864.57%85234.42%251.01%74630.15%2,475
Cobb171,72255.25%133,12442.83%5,9891.92%38,59812.42%310,835
Coffee9,24863.89%5,05734.94%1691.17%4,19128.95%14,474
Colquitt9,24369.25%3,97329.77%1310.98%5,27039.48%13,347
Columbia41,76570.70%16,45127.85%8551.45%25,31442.85%59,071
Cook3,93565.14%2,04233.80%641.06%1,89331.34%6,041
Coweta39,65371.17%15,16827.22%8971.61%24,48543.95%55,718
Crawford3,36865.47%1,70633.16%701.37%1,66232.31%5,144
Crisp4,18256.51%3,16742.80%510.69%1,01513.71%7,400
Dade4,47173.94%1,41123.33%1652.73%3,06050.61%6,047
Dawson8,84786.19%1,24112.09%1761.72%7,60674.10%10,264
Decatur5,82455.47%4,59143.72%850.81%1,23311.75%10,500
DeKalb64,39220.98%238,22477.63%4,2421.39%-173,832-56.65%306,858
Dodge5,21467.24%2,44231.49%981.27%2,77235.75%7,754
Dooly1,98546.14%2,28553.11%320.75%-300-6.97%4,302
Dougherty11,44930.15%26,29569.24%2310.61%-14,846-39.09%37,975
Douglas26,24147.38%28,44151.36%6971.26%-2,200-3.98%55,379
Early2,55747.71%2,76551.60%370.69%-208-3.89%5,359
Echols91782.99%17315.66%151.35%74467.33%1,105
Effingham15,59674.79%4,94723.72%3111.49%10,64951.07%20,854
Elbert4,85959.58%3,18139.00%1161.42%1,67820.58%8,156
Emanuel5,10063.05%2,92736.18%620.77%2,17326.87%8,089
Evans2,26863.62%1,26835.57%290.81%1,00028.05%3,565
Fannin7,85778.10%2,02820.16%1751.74%5,82957.94%10,060
Fayette38,07564.83%19,73633.61%9171.56%18,33931.22%58,728
Floyd22,73369.04%9,64029.28%5541.68%13,09339.76%32,927
Forsyth65,90880.47%14,57117.79%1,4211.74%51,33762.68%81,900
Franklin6,11478.62%1,49919.27%1642.11%4,61559.35%7,777
Fulton137,12434.42%255,47064.13%5,7521.45%-118,346-29.71%398,346
Gilmer8,92680.76%1,95817.71%1691.53%6,96863.05%11,053
Glascock1,13584.96%17613.17%251.87%95971.79%1,336
Glynn20,89362.95%11,95036.00%3481.05%8,94326.95%33,191
Gordon13,19777.91%3,44020.31%3021.78%9,75757.60%16,939
Grady5,92462.93%3,41936.32%700.75%2,50526.61%9,413
Greene5,07160.90%3,20138.44%550.66%1,87022.46%8,327
Gwinnett159,85553.76%132,50944.56%4,9921.68%27,3469.20%297,356
Habersham12,16682.90%2,30115.68%2091.42%9,86567.22%14,676
Hall47,48177.19%12,99921.13%1,0321.68%34,48256.06%61,512
Hancock76918.80%3,30880.88%130.32%-2,539-62.08%4,090
Haralson8,44681.16%1,78917.19%1721.65%6,65763.97%10,407
Harris11,19772.14%4,14526.71%1791.15%7,05245.43%15,521
Hart6,51768.39%2,87030.12%1421.49%3,64738.27%9,529
Heard3,16075.63%94822.69%701.68%2,21252.94%4,178
Henry46,77451.10%43,76147.81%9961.09%3,0133.29%91,531
Houston34,66259.58%22,70239.02%8111.40%11,96020.56%58,175
Irwin2,53868.34%1,14130.72%350.94%1,39737.62%3,714
Jackson19,13580.59%4,23817.85%3721.56%14,89762.74%23,745
Jasper4,13668.45%1,84530.54%611.01%2,29137.91%6,042
Jeff Davis3,99674.85%1,27523.88%681.27%2,72150.97%5,339
Jefferson2,99941.08%4,26158.36%410.56%-1,262-17.28%7,301
Jenkins1,88755.60%1,48843.84%190.56%39911.76%3,394
Johnson2,44064.62%1,30534.56%310.82%1,13530.06%3,776
Jones7,74463.90%4,27435.27%1010.83%3,47028.63%12,119
Lamar4,89964.36%2,60234.18%1111.46%2,29730.18%7,612
Lanier1,82061.11%1,11437.41%441.48%70623.70%2,978
Laurens11,95060.85%7,51338.26%1760.89%4,43722.59%19,639
Lee10,31475.58%3,19623.42%1361.00%7,11852.16%13,646
Liberty5,56534.36%10,45764.57%1731.07%-4,892-30.21%16,195
Lincoln2,80763.36%1,58635.80%370.84%1,22127.56%4,430
Long2,30660.45%1,44237.80%671.75%86422.65%3,815
Lowndes21,32754.38%17,47044.54%4241.08%3,8579.84%39,221
Lumpkin8,64778.98%2,05518.77%2462.25%6,59260.21%10,948
Macon1,54532.28%3,21167.09%300.63%-1,666-34.81%4,786
Madison8,44375.84%2,49422.40%1961.76%5,94953.44%11,133
Marion1,73354.51%1,41244.42%341.07%32110.09%3,179
McDuffie5,47557.00%4,04442.10%860.90%1,43114.90%9,605
McIntosh3,40953.65%2,86445.07%811.28%5458.58%6,354
Meriwether4,85652.36%4,33146.70%870.94%5255.66%9,274
Miller1,90568.53%85230.65%230.82%1,05337.88%2,780
Mitchell4,15550.18%4,08149.28%450.54%740.90%8,281
Monroe8,36168.00%3,78530.78%1491.22%4,57637.22%12,295
Montgomery2,66269.41%1,13529.60%380.99%1,52739.81%3,835
Morgan6,18668.42%2,75330.45%1021.13%3,43337.97%9,041
Murray8,44375.02%2,54222.59%2702.39%5,90152.43%11,255
Muscogee27,51038.90%42,57360.20%6320.90%-15,063-21.30%70,715
Newton20,98248.45%21,85150.45%4761.10%-869-2.00%43,309
Oconee13,09873.34%4,42124.76%3401.90%8,67748.58%17,859
Oglethorpe4,25167.64%1,91430.45%1201.91%2,33737.19%6,285
Paulding40,84670.98%15,82527.50%8721.52%25,02143.48%57,543
Peach5,28745.83%6,14853.29%1020.88%-861-7.46%11,537
Pickens10,54783.03%1,97515.55%1801.42%8,57267.48%12,702
Pierce5,66782.67%1,12416.40%640.93%4,54366.27%6,855
Pike6,66881.93%1,35616.66%1151.41%5,31265.27%8,139
Polk9,81171.89%3,61526.49%2221.62%6,19645.40%13,648
Pulaski2,44466.32%1,21933.08%220.60%1,22533.24%3,685
Putnam6,21567.34%2,92631.70%880.96%3,28935.64%9,229
Quitman51045.21%61254.26%60.53%-102-9.05%1,128
Rabun5,75477.08%1,55920.88%1522.04%4,19556.20%7,465
Randolph1,27141.54%1,77057.84%190.62%-499-16.30%3,060
Richmond25,84532.64%52,56066.39%7690.97%-26,715-33.75%79,174
Rockdale15,71641.19%22,02357.72%4171.09%-6,307-16.53%38,156
Schley1,28673.40%44825.57%181.03%83847.83%1,752
Screven3,28753.79%2,77445.39%500.82%5138.40%6,111
Seminole2,24559.44%1,47839.13%541.43%76720.31%3,777
Spalding14,91159.31%9,89839.37%3301.32%5,01319.94%25,139
Stephens7,22175.74%2,13122.35%1821.91%5,09053.39%9,534
Stewart74535.89%1,32363.73%80.38%-578-27.84%2,076
Sumter5,37845.36%6,37553.77%1030.87%-997-8.41%11,856
Talbot1,20234.41%2,26564.84%260.75%-1,063-30.43%3,493
Taliaferro32333.54%63666.04%40.42%-313-32.50%963
Tattnall4,70670.48%1,89728.41%741.11%2,80942.07%6,677
Taylor1,94855.03%1,57244.41%200.56%37610.62%3,540
Telfair2,48057.17%1,80541.61%531.22%67515.56%4,338
Terrell1,83441.62%2,54457.73%290.65%-710-16.11%4,407
Thomas11,15658.74%7,65340.30%1830.96%3,50318.44%18,992
Tift9,18565.88%4,66033.42%970.70%4,52532.46%13,942
Toombs6,52469.72%2,74629.35%870.93%3,77840.37%9,357
Towns4,87678.09%1,27320.39%951.52%3,60357.70%6,244
Treutlen1,65260.05%1,07439.04%250.91%57821.01%2,751
Troup15,17958.30%10,54740.51%3091.19%4,63217.79%26,035
Turner2,02856.85%1,51042.33%290.82%51814.52%3,567
Twiggs1,90745.35%2,27053.98%280.67%-363-8.63%4,205
Union8,77378.97%2,13919.25%1971.78%6,63459.72%11,109
Upson7,23064.10%3,95935.10%900.80%3,27129.00%11,279
Walker16,24773.86%5,27423.98%4752.16%10,97349.88%21,996
Walton29,03677.07%8,14821.63%4931.30%20,88855.44%37,677
Ware7,94166.44%3,90032.63%1120.93%4,04133.81%11,953
Warren99039.18%1,52960.51%80.31%-539-21.33%2,527
Washington4,03545.76%4,71453.46%680.78%-679-7.70%8,817
Wayne7,55773.45%2,59625.23%1351.32%4,96148.22%10,288
Webster60150.59%58248.99%50.42%191.60%1,188
Wheeler1,36663.09%77235.66%271.25%59427.43%2,165
White8,65182.21%1,67115.88%2011.91%6,98066.33%10,523
Whitfield19,30571.58%7,21026.74%4531.68%12,09544.84%26,968
Wilcox2,05365.55%1,06033.84%190.61%99331.71%3,132
Wilkes2,63555.30%2,08743.80%430.90%54811.50%4,765
Wilkinson2,24650.40%2,18148.95%290.65%651.45%4,456
Worth5,86969.57%2,48729.48%800.95%3,38240.09%8,436
Totals2,078,68853.19%1,773,82745.39%55,8541.43%304,8617.80%3,908,369
County Flips:

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

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Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

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By congressional district

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Romney won 10 of 14 congressional districts, including one that elected a Democrat.[8]

DistrictRomneyObamaRepresentative
1st55.9%43%Jack Kingston
2nd40.8%58.6%Sanford Bishop
3rd65.85%33%Lynn Westmoreland
4th25.6%73.6%Hank Johnson
5th15.8%83.1%John Lewis
6th60.8%37.45%Tom Price
7th60.23%38.32%Rob Woodall
8th61.63%37.48%Austin Scott
9th78.14%20.5%Doug Collins
10th62.46%36.3%Paul Broun
11th66.9%31.5%Phil Gingrey
12th55.42%43.64%John Barrow
13th29.97%69.24%David Scott
14th73.21%25.3%Tom Graves

See also

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References

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  1. ^ ("Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2012". United States Census Bureau. May 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2021.)
  2. ^ "Primary and Caucus Printable Calendar". CNN. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  3. ^ "Presidential Primary Dates" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  4. ^ Nate Silver (March 4, 2012). "Romney Could Win Majority of Super Tuesday Delegates". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  5. ^ Georgia Election Results, Retrieved March 23, 2012.
  6. ^ Georgia Republican Delegation 2012 The Green Papers. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  7. ^ "Georgia Election Results". Secretary of State of Georgia. November 8, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  8. ^ "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts". Daily Kos. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
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