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Deutsch2012 United States presidential election in South Carolina
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The 2012 United States presidential election in South Carolina 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. South Carolina voters chose 9 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.
Also on the ballot were Libertarian nominee, former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and his running mate, jurist Jim Gray. The left-wing Green Party nominated activist and physician Jill Stein and her running mate, anti-poverty advocate Cheri Honkala. The conservative Constitution Party nominated former U.S. Representative from Virginia Virgil Goode for president, and former Chair of the Constitution Party Jim Clymer for vice president.
Romney defeated Obama in the state by 54.56% to 44.09%, a margin of 10.47%.[1] While the state is generally considered safe for the Republican Party, it remains somewhat competitive due to a high African-American population, the sixth-highest in the country.[2] The majority of the Democratic vote comes from the Black Belt, with areas such as Richland and Charleston counties, home to Columbia and Charleston respectively, providing high margins for the Democrats. However, this support is largely offset by suburban and rural white voters.[3] The state hasn't voted for a Democrat since Jimmy Carter carried it in 1976.[4] Romney also improved on John McCain's 8.97% margin in 2008.
As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the last time where the counties of Barnwell, Calhoun, Chester, Colleton, Darlington, and McCormick voted for the Democratic candidate.
Primaries
[edit]Democratic primary
[edit]Incumbent President Barack Obama ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and easily won with more than 99% of the vote. The Democratic primary was held on January 28, 2012, one week after the Republican primary.
Republican primary
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| Elections in South Carolina |
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 2012 U.S. presidential election | |
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| Democratic Party | |
| Republican Party | |
| Minor parties | |
| Related races | |
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The Republican primary was held on January 21, 2012.
During the primary election campaign, the candidates ran on a platform of government reform in Washington. Domestic, foreign and economic policy emerged as the main themes in the election campaign following the onset of the 2008 economic crisis, as well as policies implemented by the Obama administration. This included the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, termed "Obamacare" by its opponents, as well as government spending as a whole.
The primary has become one of several key early state nominating contests in the process of choosing the nominee of the Republican Party for the election for President of the United States. It has historically been more important for the Republican Party than for the Democratic Party; from its inception in 1980, until the nomination of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in 2012, the winner of the Republican presidential primary had gone on to win the nomination.[5] As of 2012, the primary has cemented its place as the "First in the South" primary for both parties.[6] Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was declared the winner of the race as soon as polls closed, however, Mitt Romney went on to win the nomination.
Date
[edit]The 2012 South Carolina Republican primary was tentatively scheduled to occur on February 28, 2012,[7] much later than the date in 2008, which almost immediately followed the beginning of the year in January 2008.[8] On September 29, 2011, the entire schedule of caucuses and primaries was disrupted, however, when it was announced that the Republican Party of Florida had decided to move up its primary to January 31, in an attempt to bring attention to its own primary contest, and attract the presidential candidates to visit the state.[9] Because of the move, the Republican National Committee decided to strip Florida of half of its delegates.[10] Also as a result, the South Carolina Republican Party, along with Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada then sought to move their primaries and caucuses back into early January.[10] All but Nevada, who agreed to follow Florida,[11] confirmed their caucus and primary dates to take place throughout January, with South Carolina deciding to hold their contest on January 21, 2012.[10] It is an open primary, meaning all registered voters can participate in the primary.[12]
Ballot access
[edit]Nine candidates appeared on the presidential primary ballot.[13] South Carolina had only 25 delegates up for grabs because it moved its primary to January 21. Eleven delegates were awarded for the statewide winner, Newt Gingrich, and two additional delegates were awarded to the winner of each of the seven congressional districts. Six districts were won by Gingrich, and one by Romney, giving Gingrich twelve additional delegates and Romney two delegates.[14]
Polling
[edit]Results
[edit]There were 2,804,231 registered voters, for a turnout of 21.60%.[15]
| South Carolina Republican primary, 2012 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Estimated national delegates |
| Newt Gingrich | 244,065 | 40.42% | 23 |
| Mitt Romney | 168,123 | 27.85% | 2 |
| Rick Santorum | 102,475 | 16.97% | 0 |
| Ron Paul | 78,360 | 12.98% | 0 |
| Herman Cain | 6,338 | 1.05% | 0 |
| Rick Perry | 2,534 | 0.42% | 0 |
| Jon Huntsman | 1,173 | 0.19% | 0 |
| Michele Bachmann | 491 | 0.08% | 0 |
| Gary Johnson | 211 | 0.03% | 0 |
| Totals | 603,770 | 100.00% | 25 |
| Key: | Withdrew prior to contest |
General election
[edit]Predictions
[edit]| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Huffington Post[16] | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| CNN[17] | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| New York Times[18] | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| Washington Post[19] | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| RealClearPolitics[20] | Solid R | November 6, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[21] | Solid R | November 5, 2012 |
| FiveThirtyEight[22] | Solid R | November 6, 2012 |
Results
[edit]| United States presidential election in South Carolina, 2012 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | Mitt Romney | Paul Ryan | 1,071,645 | 54.56% | 9 | |
| Democratic | Barack Obama (incumbent) | Joe Biden (incumbent) | 865,941 | 44.09% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson | Jim Gray | 16,321 | 0.83% | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein | Cheri Honkala | 5,446 | 0.28% | 0 | |
| Constitution | Virgil Goode | Jim Clymer | 4,765 | 0.22% | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,964,118 | 100.00% | 9 | |||
By county
[edit]| County | Mitt Romney Republican | Barack Obama Democratic | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Abbeville | 5,981 | 56.05% | 4,543 | 42.57% | 147 | 1.38% | 1,438 | 13.48% | 10,671 |
| Aiken | 44,042 | 62.59% | 25,322 | 35.99% | 999 | 1.42% | 18,720 | 26.60% | 70,363 |
| Allendale | 838 | 20.13% | 3,297 | 79.20% | 28 | 0.67% | -2,459 | -59.07% | 4,163 |
| Anderson | 48,709 | 67.45% | 22,405 | 31.03% | 1,098 | 1.52% | 26,304 | 36.42% | 72,212 |
| Bamberg | 2,194 | 31.88% | 4,624 | 67.19% | 64 | 0.93% | -2,430 | -35.31% | 6,882 |
| Barnwell | 4,659 | 46.95% | 5,188 | 52.28% | 76 | 0.77% | -529 | -5.33% | 9,923 |
| Beaufort | 42,687 | 58.24% | 29,848 | 40.72% | 762 | 1.04% | 12,839 | 17.52% | 73,297 |
| Berkeley | 38,475 | 56.42% | 28,542 | 41.85% | 1,178 | 1.73% | 9,933 | 14.57% | 68,195 |
| Calhoun | 3,707 | 47.32% | 4,045 | 51.63% | 82 | 1.05% | -338 | -4.31% | 7,834 |
| Charleston | 77,629 | 48.01% | 81,487 | 50.39% | 2,591 | 1.60% | -3,858 | -2.38% | 161,707 |
| Cherokee | 13,314 | 64.09% | 7,231 | 34.81% | 228 | 1.10% | 6,083 | 29.28% | 20,773 |
| Chester | 6,367 | 44.19% | 7,891 | 54.77% | 149 | 1.04% | -1,524 | -10.58% | 14,407 |
| Chesterfield | 8,490 | 51.16% | 7,958 | 47.96% | 146 | 0.88% | 532 | 3.20% | 16,594 |
| Clarendon | 7,071 | 43.40% | 9,091 | 55.80% | 130 | 0.80% | -2,020 | -12.40% | 16,292 |
| Colleton | 8,443 | 49.41% | 8,475 | 49.60% | 168 | 0.99% | -32 | -0.19% | 17,086 |
| Darlington | 14,434 | 47.87% | 15,457 | 51.27% | 259 | 0.86% | -1,023 | -3.40% | 30,150 |
| Dillon | 5,427 | 41.63% | 7,523 | 57.71% | 85 | 0.66% | -2,096 | -16.08% | 13,035 |
| Dorchester | 32,531 | 57.22% | 23,445 | 41.24% | 879 | 1.54% | 9,086 | 15.98% | 56,855 |
| Edgefield | 6,512 | 56.21% | 4,967 | 42.87% | 107 | 0.92% | 1,545 | 13.34% | 11,586 |
| Fairfield | 3,999 | 33.62% | 7,777 | 65.38% | 119 | 1.00% | -3,778 | -31.76% | 11,895 |
| Florence | 28,961 | 49.83% | 28,614 | 49.23% | 547 | 0.94% | 347 | 0.60% | 58,122 |
| Georgetown | 16,526 | 53.37% | 14,163 | 45.74% | 276 | 0.89% | 2,363 | 7.63% | 30,965 |
| Greenville | 121,685 | 62.99% | 68,070 | 35.23% | 3,434 | 1.78% | 53,615 | 27.76% | 193,189 |
| Greenwood | 16,348 | 57.02% | 11,972 | 41.76% | 352 | 1.22% | 4,376 | 15.26% | 28,672 |
| Hampton | 3,312 | 35.98% | 5,834 | 63.37% | 60 | 0.65% | -2,522 | -27.39% | 9,206 |
| Horry | 72,127 | 64.17% | 38,885 | 34.60% | 1,381 | 1.23% | 33,242 | 29.57% | 112,393 |
| Jasper | 4,169 | 41.60% | 5,757 | 57.45% | 95 | 0.95% | -1,588 | -15.85% | 10,021 |
| Kershaw | 16,324 | 58.41% | 11,259 | 40.29% | 363 | 1.30% | 5,065 | 18.12% | 27,946 |
| Lancaster | 19,333 | 58.33% | 13,419 | 40.49% | 392 | 1.18% | 5,914 | 17.84% | 33,144 |
| Laurens | 14,746 | 58.02% | 10,318 | 40.60% | 352 | 1.38% | 4,428 | 17.42% | 25,416 |
| Lee | 2,832 | 31.80% | 5,977 | 67.10% | 98 | 1.10% | -3,145 | -35.30% | 8,907 |
| Lexington | 76,662 | 68.07% | 34,148 | 30.32% | 1,813 | 1.61% | 42,514 | 37.75% | 112,623 |
| Marion | 5,164 | 34.46% | 9,688 | 64.65% | 134 | 0.89% | -4,524 | -30.19% | 14,986 |
| Marlboro | 3,676 | 37.31% | 6,100 | 61.91% | 77 | 0.78% | -2,424 | -24.60% | 9,853 |
| McCormick | 2,467 | 47.81% | 2,653 | 51.41% | 40 | 0.78% | -186 | -3.60% | 5,160 |
| Newberry | 9,260 | 56.63% | 6,913 | 42.28% | 178 | 1.09% | 2,347 | 14.35% | 16,351 |
| Oconee | 21,611 | 70.47% | 8,550 | 27.88% | 505 | 1.65% | 13,061 | 42.59% | 30,666 |
| Orangeburg | 12,022 | 27.93% | 30,720 | 71.37% | 299 | 0.70% | -18,698 | -43.44% | 43,041 |
| Pickens | 33,474 | 73.49% | 11,156 | 24.49% | 919 | 2.02% | 22,138 | 49.00% | 45,549 |
| Richland | 53,105 | 33.37% | 103,989 | 65.34% | 2,060 | 1.29% | -50,884 | -31.97% | 159,154 |
| Saluda | 5,135 | 59.96% | 3,328 | 38.86% | 101 | 1.18% | 1,807 | 21.10% | 8,564 |
| Spartanburg | 66,969 | 60.93% | 41,461 | 37.72% | 1,476 | 1.35% | 25,508 | 23.21% | 109,906 |
| Sumter | 19,274 | 40.74% | 27,589 | 58.32% | 446 | 0.94% | -8,315 | -17.58% | 47,309 |
| Union | 6,584 | 52.50% | 5,796 | 46.22% | 161 | 1.28% | 788 | 6.28% | 12,541 |
| Williamsburg | 4,824 | 29.59% | 11,335 | 69.52% | 145 | 0.89% | -6,511 | -39.93% | 16,304 |
| York | 59,546 | 59.42% | 39,131 | 39.05% | 1,533 | 1.53% | 20,415 | 20.37% | 100,210 |
| Totals | 1,071,645 | 54.56% | 865,941 | 44.09% | 26,532 | 1.35% | 205,704 | 10.47% | 1,964,118 |
| Democratic Hold Gain from Republican | Republican Hold |
- Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Darlington (largest city: Hartsville)
By congressional district
[edit]Romney won 6 of 7 congressional districts. [23]
| District | Romney | Obama | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 58.25% | 40.2% | Tim Scott |
| 2nd | 59.14% | 39.43% | Joe Wilson |
| 3rd | 64.55% | 33.95% | Jeff Duncan |
| 4th | 62.17% | 36.2% | Trey Gowdy |
| 5th | 55.1% | 43.62% | Mick Mulvaney |
| 6th | 28.1% | 70.9% | Jim Clyburn |
| 7th | 54.55% | 44.43% | Tom Rice |
See also
[edit]
- South Carolina primary
- Republican Party presidential debates, 2012
- Republican Party presidential primaries, 2012
- Results of the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries
- South Carolina Republican Party
References
[edit]- ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Retrieved December 7, 2012.
- ^ "Decennial Census by Decades". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ "The Road to 270: South Carolina". 270toWin.com. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ "South Carolina Presidential Election Voting History". 270toWin.com. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ "GOP bellwether South Carolina shows a tangled race: Pg 1". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- ^ "First in the South". Fox News. Archived from the original on January 22, 2008. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- ^ Falcone, Michael (September 2, 2011). "South Carolina GOP Officials Hope To Strike Deal With Florida To 'Calm' 2012 Primary Waters". ABC News. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
- ^ "South Carolina Primary Results". The New York Times. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
- ^ Taylor, Steven (September 29, 2011). "Florida Moves its Primary". Outside the Beltway. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
- ^ a b c Jacobs, Jennifer (October 25, 2011). "GOP chairman: Florida will be penalized, and 2012 race is now set". Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
- ^ Nir, David (October 24, 2011). "Nevada Republicans cave, move caucuses to Feb. 4". Daily Kos. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
- ^ Richard E. Berg-Andersson. "South Carolina Republican". The Green Papers. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
- ^ Whitmire, C. "2012 Republican Presidential Primary Candidates". South Carolina State Election Commission. Archived from the original on August 22, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
- ^ Kleefeld, Eric (January 4, 2012). "South Carolina GOP Chairman: 'Anyone Can Win' In Our Primary". Talking Points Memo. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
- ^ "South Carolina Primary". South Carolina State Election Commission. February 3, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
- ^ "Huffington Post Election Dashboard". HuffPost. Archived from the original on August 13, 2013.
- ^ "America's Choice 2012 Election Center: CNN Electoral Map". CNN. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013.
- ^ "Election 2012 - The Electoral Map: Building a Path to Victory". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012.
- ^ "2012 Presidential Election Results". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 26, 2012.
- ^ "RealClearPolitics - 2012 Election Maps - Battle for White House". Archived from the original on June 8, 2011.
- ^ "PROJECTION: OBAMA WILL LIKELY WIN SECOND TERM".
- ^ "Nate Silver's political calculations predict 2012 election outcome".
- ^ "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts". Daily Kos. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
External links
[edit]- South Carolina State Election Commission
- South Carolina's Secretary of State
- South Carolina Republican Party
- The Green Papers: for South Carolina
- The Green Papers: Major state elections in chronological order
