2012 United States presidential election in Kentucky

The 2012 United States presidential election in Kentucky took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 General Election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Kentucky voters chose 8 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 Kentucky

November 6, 2012
Turnout59.70%[1]
 
Nominee Mitt Romney Barack Obama
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Massachusetts Illinois
Running mate Paul Ryan Joe Biden
Electoral vote 8 0
Popular vote 1,087,190 679,370
Percentage 60.49% 37.80%

County Results

President before election

Barack Obama
Democratic

Elected President

Barack Obama
Democratic

Romney carried Kentucky by a landslide margin, winning 60.49% of the vote to Barack Obama's 37.80%, a margin of 22.69%, a great improvement for the Republican Party from 2008 when they won with a 16.23% margin.

Although Kentucky had been won by Southern Democrat Bill Clinton twice in the 1990s, Obama was seen as a poor cultural fit for the state, and he did not compete here either time he ran.

The Romney campaign also attacked Obama's administration as being hostile to the coal industry, historically an important part of the state's economy, because of its environmental harm. Consequently, Obama suffered a historically poor showing in the traditionally staunchly Democratic coalfields of Eastern Kentucky. Many counties which had voted even for landslide Democratic losers like George McGovern and Walter Mondale defected to the Republicans. Knott County, which had given Bill Clinton 73% of the vote in 1996, gave Mitt Romney 73% of the vote in 2012. Even Elliott County, the only county in the state in which Obama had broken 60% in 2008, barely held on in 2012, giving Obama a narrow 49-47 plurality win, his only victory in the region, and one of just 4 county wins in the entire state. Wolfe County, which had returned to the Democratic Party in 2004 and 2008 after casting its first-ever Republican vote for George W. Bush in 2000, went for Romney by over twenty points, making Obama the first Democrat to win the White House without carrying it since the county's founding in 1860.

The only part of the state where Obama won convincingly was Jefferson County, the most urban and populous county in the state, where Louisville is located. He also eked out a close win in Fayette County, the second most populous county, home to Lexington. Despite losing five counties he won in 2008, he managed to flip Franklin County, home to the state capital of Frankfort, which he had narrowly lost in 2008.

Democratic primary

Barack Obama's only "opponent" in the primary was the "Uncommited" ballot option, which garnered more than 42% of the primary vote, making Kentucky one of Obama's worst contested primary results.[2]

Kentucky Democratic primary, 2012[3]
Candidate Votes Percentage Delegates
Barack Obama 119,293 57.85% 39
Uncommitted 86,925 42.15% 34
Kentucky Democratic primary, 2012

May 22, 2012 (2012-05-22)
 
Candidate Barack Obama Uncommited
Home state Illinois n/a
Delegate count 39 34
Popular vote 119,293 86,925
Percentage 57.85% 42.15%

Kentucky results by county
  Barack Obama
  Uncommited
  Tie

Republican primary

Kentucky Republican primary, 2012

May 22, 2012 (2012-05-22)
 
Candidate Mitt Romney Ron Paul Rick Santorum
Home state Massachusetts Texas Pennsylvania
Delegate count 42 0 0
Popular vote 117,621 22,074 15,629
Percentage 66.77% 12.53% 8.87%

 
Candidate Newt Gingrich Uncommited
Home state Georgia N/A
Delegate count 0 0
Popular vote 10,479 10,357
Percentage 5.95% 5.88%

Kentucky results by county
  Mitt Romney
(Note: Italicization indicates a withdrawn candidacy)

The Republican primary occurred on May 22, 2012.[4][5] 42 delegates were chosen, all of which were allocated to and pledged to vote for Mitt Romney at the 2012 Republican National Convention. Three delegates remain unpledged to any candidate. All Republicans in Kentucky were allowed to participate in the primary. A Republican primary was also held in Arkansas on this day.

Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich withdrew from the presidential race on April 10 and May 2, 2012, respectively. Both endorsed Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee.

Kentucky Republican primary, 2012[6]
Candidate Votes Percentage Delegates
Mitt Romney 117,621 66.8% 42
Ron Paul 22,074 12.53% 0
Rick Santorum 15,629 8.87% 0
Newt Gingrich 10,479 5.95% 0
Uncommitted 10,357 5.88% 0
Unpledged delegates: 3
Total: 176,160 100.00% 45
Key:Withdrew prior to contest

General election

Results

On election night, Kentucky went as expected to the Republican candidate Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney over Incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama of bordering Illinois. Obama was reelected but nonetheless, lost Kentucky. In most recent years Democrats have maintained their lead in registered voters compared to Republicans.[7] However, Kentucky is known as a highly conservative state with a populist streak. In most recent presidential elections in Kentucky, Democrats usually achieve lower 40 or upper 30% margins. Obama performed significantly worse in 2012 than he did in 2008. Appalachian Kentucky used to be a place were Democrats thrived because of working-class people, particularly unionized coal miners.[8] However this region has become more and more Republican in recent years. Romney performed, for the most part, very well statewide. Obama won four counties. Obama was however able to maintain a solid performance in perhaps the most Democratic place in the state, Jefferson County (Louisville Metro). The other counties Obama won were Franklin, Elliott and Fayette.

United States presidential election in Kentucky, 2012[9]
Party Candidate Running mate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Mitt Romney Paul Ryan 1,087,190 60.49% 8
Democratic Barack Obama Joe Biden 679,370 37.80% 0
Libertarian Gary Johnson Jim Gray 17,063 0.95% 0
Independent Randall Terry Missy Smith 6,872 0.38% 0
Green Jill Stein Cheri Honkala 6,337 0.35% 0
Others 380 0.02% 0
Totals 1,797,212 100.00% 8
Voter turnout (registered voters) 59.24%

By county

CountyRomney%Romney#Obama%Obama#Others%Others#Totals
Adair75.67%5,84121.51%1,6601.28%997,719
Allen72.39%5,18425.25%1,8081.49%1077,161
Anderson65.38%6,82231.77%3,3151.73%18110,435
Ballard67.23%2,64730.20%1,1891.50%593,937
Barren65.09%10,92232.18%5,4001.45%24316,780
Bath52.43%2,27540.79%1,7701.77%774,339
Bell74.89%7,12723.37%2,2241.38%1319,517
Boone68.06%35,92029.61%15,6281.79%94752,776
Bourbon58.42%4,69238.28%3,0751.77%1428,032
Boyd56.10%10,88340.08%7,7761.96%38119,399
Boyle61.81%7,70335.88%4,4711.56%19412,462
Bracken60.53%2,02934.22%1,1471.61%543,352
Breathitt63.62%3,31829.95%1,5622.45%1285,215
Breckinridge62.27%5,02535.01%2,8251.45%1178,070
Bullitt66.51%21,30631.13%9,9711.55%49832,032
Butler72.66%3,71625.28%1,2930.96%495,114
Caldwell66.06%3,90431.34%1,8521.76%1045,910
Calloway62.15%9,43834.99%5,3142.05%31215,186
Campbell59.95%24,24037.30%15,0802.11%85340,434
Carlisle69.09%1,83528.24%7501.28%342,656
Carroll53.54%1,99943.63%1,6291.39%523,734
Carter59.27%5,27937.99%3,3832.74%2448,906
Casey80.51%4,90417.83%1,0861.66%1016,091
Christian61.38%13,47537.59%8,2521.03%22621,953
Clark64.45%9,93133.93%5,2281.63%25115,410
Clay83.65%6,17615.05%1,1111.30%967,383
Clinton81.24%3,56917.12%7521.64%724,393
Crittenden73.66%2,83924.91%9601.43%553,854
Cumberland77.67%2,21621.00%5991.33%382,853
Daviess59.63%25,09238.52%16,2081.85%77942,079
Edmonson69.30%3,23229.46%1,3741.24%584,664
Elliott46.94%1,12649.44%1,1863.63%872,399
Estill72.32%3,74926.16%1,3561.52%795,184
Fayette48.32%60,79349.34%62,0782.34%2,950125,821
Fleming65.38%3,78033.05%1,9111.57%915,782
Floyd65.71%9,78431.79%4,7332.51%37314,890
Franklin48.61%11,34549.43%11,5351.96%45723,337
Fulton57.44%1,42541.19%1,0221.37%342,481
Gallatin57.45%1,75840.46%1,2382.09%643,060
Garrard75.03%5,31023.47%1,6611.50%1067,077
Grant65.81%5,66432.65%2,8101.53%1328,606
Graves69.06%10,69929.35%4,5471.59%24715,493
Grayson69.09%6,40429.60%2,7441.31%1219,269
Green74.84%3,63423.99%1,1651.17%574,856
Greenup58.41%8,85539.76%6,0271.83%27715,159
Hancock53.52%2,21244.35%1,8332.13%884,133
Hardin59.57%23,35738.80%15,2141.63%64139,212
Harlan81.19%8,65317.17%1,8301.64%17510,658
Harrison63.60%4,55634.50%2,4711.90%1367,163
Hart64.28%4,25634.48%2,2831.24%826,621
Henderson55.31%10,29643.47%8,0911.22%22718,614
Henry59.83%3,94038.42%2,5301.75%1156,585
Hickman66.90%1,43132.07%6861.03%222,139
Hopkins69.22%13,68129.29%5,7891.49%29519,765
Jackson86.15%4,36512.20%6181.66%845,067
Jefferson43.72%148,42354.84%186,1791.45%4,922339,524
Jessamine69.02%14,23229.10%6,0011.88%38720,620
Johnson78.53%7,09519.07%1,7232.40%2179,035
Kenton61.15%41,38736.82%24,9172.03%1,37567,679
Knott72.55%4,13024.94%1,4202.51%1435,693
Knox76.28%8,46722.38%2,4841.34%14911,100
LaRue67.85%3,91130.07%1,7332.08%1205,764
Laurel81.00%18,15117.43%3,9061.57%35222,409
Lawrence71.44%3,99527.18%1,5201.38%775,592
Lee75.37%1,97722.68%5951.94%512,623
Leslie89.68%4,4398.75%4331.58%784,950
Letcher77.77%6,81119.43%1,7022.80%2458,758
Lewis69.74%3,32628.14%1,3422.12%1014,769
Lincoln70.10%6,41628.21%2,5821.68%1549,152
Livingston68.48%3,08929.84%1,3461.68%764,511
Logan65.65%6,89933.01%3,4691.34%14110,509
Lyon62.85%2,41235.77%1,3731.38%533,838
Madison63.42%21,12834.55%11,5122.03%67733,317
Magoffin69.12%3,39129.21%1,4331.67%824,906
Marion51.94%3,80046.72%3,4181.34%987,316
Marshall66.20%10,40231.96%5,0221.85%29015,714
Martin83.14%3,18015.01%5741.86%713,825
Mason60.99%4,19437.70%2,5921.31%906,876
McCracken65.42%19,97932.95%10,0621.63%49930,540
McCreary80.01%4,56418.74%1,0691.24%715,704
McLean64.40%2,70534.10%1,4321.50%634,200
Meade60.52%6,60637.76%4,1221.71%18710,915
Menifee57.12%1,48440.34%1,0482.54%662,598
Mercer68.64%6,82029.85%2,9661.51%1509,936
Metcalfe63.96%2,67634.06%1,4251.98%834,184
Monroe79.27%3,76219.72%9361.01%484,746
Montgomery62.43%6,39836.11%3,7011.45%14910,248
Morgan67.55%3,02130.61%1,3691.83%824,472
Muhlenberg60.94%7,76237.46%4,7711.60%20412,737
Nelson57.59%10,67341.07%7,6111.34%24818,532
Nicholas61.36%1,58336.74%9481.90%492,580
Ohio67.07%6,47030.97%2,9871.96%1899,646
Oldham67.55%20,17930.93%9,2401.52%45429,873
Owen65.23%2,97132.95%1,5011.82%834,555
Owsley80.95%1,27917.91%2831.14%181,580
Pendleton64.26%3,55633.59%1,8592.15%1195,534
Perry78.52%8,04019.99%2,0471.49%15310,240
Pike74.43%17,58923.89%5,6451.68%39823,632
Powell61.38%2,72636.48%1,6202.14%954,441
Pulaski79.66%20,71419.14%4,9761.20%31326,003
Robertson61.93%57936.36%3401.71%16935
Rockcastle80.89%5,02817.65%1,0971.46%916,216
Rowan52.81%4,03544.99%3,4382.20%1687,641
Russell80.26%6,34618.27%1,4451.47%1167,907
Scott61.65%12,67936.63%7,5321.72%35420,565
Shelby63.19%11,79035.55%6,6341.26%23518,659
Simpson61.43%4,35537.38%2,6501.18%847,089
Spencer67.92%5,72630.23%2,5491.85%1568,431
Taylor68.98%7,55130.00%3,2841.01%11110,946
Todd68.82%3,24729.74%1,4031.44%684,718
Trigg67.06%4,52031.38%2,1151.56%1056,740
Trimble60.25%2,13338.28%1,3551.47%523,540
Union66.14%3,95232.49%1,9411.37%825,975
Warren60.12%26,38438.29%16,8051.59%70043,889
Washington66.98%3,49531.99%1,6691.03%545,218
Wayne73.36%5,28925.73%1,8550.92%667,210
Webster65.94%3,60732.27%1,7651.79%985,470
Whitley78.30%10,23220.53%2,6831.17%15313,068
Wolfe60.26%1,54238.14%9761.60%412,559
Woodford58.54%7,21939.60%4,8831.87%23012,332
Totals60.49%1,087,19037.80%679,3701.70%30,6521,797,212

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

See also

References

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