2012 United States presidential election in Utah

The 2012 United States presidential election in Utah 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. Utah voters chose six 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.

Main article: 2012 United States presidential election
2012 United States presidential election in Utah
November 6, 2012
 
Nominee Mitt Romney Barack Obama
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Massachusetts Illinois
Running mate Paul Ryan Joe Biden
Electoral vote 6 0
Popular vote 740,600 251,813
Percentage 72.55% 24.67%
County Results
Romney
  50–60%
  60–70%
  70–80%
  80–90%
  90-100%

President before election

Barack Obama
Democratic

 Elected President

Barack Obama
Democratic

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2012

Prior to the election, all 17 news organizations making election predictions considered this a state Romney would win, or otherwise considered as a safe red state. Utah is among the most heavily Republican states, voting for the Republican ticket in every presidential election since 1968 and all but once since 1952, and is also the only state to have a majority Mormon population, benefiting Romney, the first Mormon to head a major party presidential ticket. Romney won in a landslide, carrying 72.55% of the vote to Obama's 24.67%, a margin of 47.88% or 488,787 votes, the best raw vote margin in the state's history to date.[1] He won every county in the state by margins of over 15%, except for Grand and Summit County, home to the cities of Moab and Park City, respectively. Romney flipped these counties along with Salt Lake County, where the state's largest city, Salt Lake City, is located.

With a 47.88% margin, Utah would prove to be Romney's strongest state in the 2012 election, and it would also be Romney's largest outperformance of John McCain in 2008, winning the state by almost 20 points more.[2] Romney would go on to be elected as a United States Senator from Utah six years later in 2018 after having switched his residence to the Beehive State. Romney's vote share in Utah was also the highest of any presidential nominee in any state since Ronald Reagan's in Utah in 1984, and remains so as of 2020. Romney's landslide win would also foreshadow Utah's considerable swing to the center in the elections following. Romney, who became a heavy critic of later-President Donald Trump,[3][4][5] played a factor in Trump's smaller 20.48% win in 2020, representing a significant decline in support for the Republican Party likely attributable to Romney's popularity among Utah voters.

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last time the Republican nominee won Utah with more than 60% of the vote, as well as the last time they won every county. It is also the last election in which Salt Lake County and Summit County have voted for the Republican presidential nominee and also the last time Utah has been the most Republican state in the United States. This is the last time a Republican presidential candidate won 70% of the vote in any state, as well as the last time any candidate (along with Obama in Hawaii) has won more than 70% of the vote in any state.

Primaries

Democratic

Due to President Barack Obama running for reelection without serious opposition from the Democratic Party in 2012, no Democratic Primary was held in Utah.

Republican
2012 Utah Republican primary
June 26, 2012 (2012-06-26)
 
Candidate Mitt Romney Ron Paul
Home state Massachusetts Texas
Delegate count 40 0
Popular vote 220,865 11,209
Percentage 93.07% 4.72%
Utah results by county.
  Mitt Romney

The 2012 Utah Republican presidential primary took place on 26 June 2012.[6] 37 delegates were chosen, for a total of 40 delegates to go to the national convention, all pledged to the primary winner.

In 2008, Mitt Romney received major support from the Mormon (Latter Day Saints) and other religious population and was able to carry the state with 93.07% of the vote. Romney led the polling in 2012[7][8] and won the primary by more than a landslide, and no other candidate could either scrape past 5% of the vote, awarding him all 40 delegates.[9]

2012 Utah Republican presidential primary[9]
Candidate Votes Percentage Delegates
Mitt Romney 220,865 93.07% 40
Ron Paul 11,209 4.72% 0
Rick Santorum 3,541 1.49% 0
Newt Gingrich 1,124 0.47% 0
Fred Karger 578 0.24% 0
Pledged party leaders: 3
Total: 237,317 100.0% 40
Key:Withdrew prior to contest

General election

Candidate ballot access

Write-in access:

Results
2012 United States presidential election in Utah[10]
Party Candidate Running mate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Mitt Romney Paul Ryan 740,600 72.55% 6
Democratic Barack Obama Joe Biden 251,813 24.67% 0
Libertarian Gary Johnson Jim Gray 12,572 1.23% 0
Justice Rocky Anderson Luis J. Rodriguez 5,335 0.52% 0
Green Jill Stein Cheri Honkala 3,817 0.37% 0
Constitution Virgil Goode Jim Clymer 2,871 0.28% 0
Socialism and Liberation Gloria La Riva Filberto Ramirez Jr. 393 0.04% 0
Others Others 2,414 0.24% 0
Totals 1,019,815 100.00% 6

Results by county
County Mitt Romney[11]
Republican		 Barack Obama[11]
Democratic		 Gary Johnson[11]
Libertarian		 Various candidates[11]
Other parties		 Margin Total votes cast
#  % #  % #  % #  % #  %
Beaver 2,174 84.92% 346 13.52% 17 0.66% 23 0.90% 1,828 71.40% 2,560
Box Elder 17,101 88.11% 1,984 10.22% 150 0.77% 173 0.89% 15,117 77.89% 19,408
Cache 35,039 82.85% 6,244 14.76% 543 1.28% 467 1.10% 28,795 68.09% 42,293
Carbon 5,090 67.27% 2,275 30.06% 88 1.16% 114 1.51% 2,815 37.21% 7,567
Daggett 406 78.08% 94 18.08% 16 3.08% 4 0.77% 312 60.00% 520
Davis 96,861 80.00% 21,889 18.08% 1,217 1.01% 1,102 0.91% 74,972 61.92% 121,069
Duchesne 5,698 89.32% 581 9.11% 41 0.64% 59 0.92% 5,117 80.21% 6,379
Emery 3,777 84.90% 569 12.79% 48 1.08% 55 1.23% 3,208 72.11% 4,449
Garfield 1,832 83.96% 308 14.12% 17 0.78% 25 1.15% 1,524 69.84% 2,182
Grand 1,996 50.53% 1,727 43.72% 71 1.80% 156 3.95% 269 6.81% 3,950
Iron 14,200 84.47% 2,148 12.78% 202 1.20% 261 1.55% 12,052 71.69% 16,811
Juab 3,448 85.99% 451 11.25% 27 0.67% 84 2.09% 2,997 74.74% 4,010
Kane 2,522 74.81% 744 22.07% 47 1.39% 58 1.72% 1,778 52.74% 3,371
Millard 4,478 88.59% 431 8.53% 43 0.85% 103 2.04% 4,047 80.06% 5,055
Morgan 4,114 89.49% 403 8.77% 36 0.78% 44 0.95% 3,711 80.72% 4,597
Piute 697 89.13% 74 9.46% 5 0.64% 6 0.77% 623 79.67% 782
Rich 915 90.15% 83 8.18% 6 0.59% 11 1.09% 832 81.97% 1,015
Salt Lake 223,811 58.26% 146,147 38.04% 5,521 1.44% 8,695 2.26% 77,664 20.22% 384,174
San Juan 3,074 57.92% 2,139 40.31% 42 0.79% 52 0.98% 935 17.61% 5,307
Sanpete 8,406 88.05% 980 10.27% 69 0.72% 92 0.96% 7,426 77.78% 9,547
Sevier 7,207 89.32% 738 9.15% 56 0.69% 68 0.84% 6,469 80.17% 8,069
Summit 8,884 50.49% 8,072 45.87% 301 1.71% 340 1.93% 812 4.62% 17,597
Tooele 14,268 73.77% 4,524 23.39% 232 1.20% 318 1.64% 9,744 50.38% 19,342
Uintah 10,421 89.75% 997 8.59% 71 0.61% 122 1.05% 9,424 81.16% 11,611
Utah 156,950 88.32% 17,281 9.72% 2,120 1.19% 1,362 0.77% 139,669 78.60% 177,713
Wasatch 7,220 74.90% 2,191 22.73% 90 0.93% 139 1.45% 5,029 52.17% 9,640
Washington 44,698 82.43% 8,337 15.37% 541 1.00% 650 1.19% 36,361 67.06% 54,226
Wayne 1,089 82.06% 215 16.20% 6 0.45% 17 1.28% 874 65.86% 1,327
Weber 54,224 71.08% 19,841 26.01% 949 1.24% 1,276 1.68% 34,383 45.07% 76,290
Totals740,60072.55%251,81324.67%12,5721.23%15,8761.55%488,78747.88%1,020,861
County Flips:
Republican
  Hold
  Gain from Democratic

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

Mitt Romney won all four congressional districts, including the 4th district, which simultaneously elected a Democrat, Jim Matheson.

District Romney Obama Representative
1st 78% 20% Rob Bishop
2nd 68% 29% Chris Stewart
3rd 79% 20% Jason Chaffetz
4th 68% 30% district created
Jim Matheson

See also

References
  1. "Historical Election Results – Utah Voter Information". voteinfo.utah.gov. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  2. "2012 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  3. Lalljee, Jason (August 15, 2020). "Romney criticizes Trump's mail-in voting attacks, COVID-19 response". USA Today. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  4. Shabad, Rebecca (November 20, 2020). "Romney says he can't imagine 'a more undemocratic action' than what Trump's done". NBC News. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  5. "Mitt Romney criticizes Trump's fraud claim as 'reckless'". Times-Herald. November 6, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  6. "Primary and Caucus Printable Calendar". CNN. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  7. "WSJ Poll tracker, 17-poll average". Wall Street Journal. April 10, 2012. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  8. "Poll: Utah voters believe Romney's Mormon faith hurting him less this time". Deseret News. April 3, 2012.
  9. "Republican for president". Utah Election Results. State of Utah. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  10. "Utah Secretary of State". Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
  11. Our Campaigns; UT US Presidential Election November 06, 2012
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