United States presidential election in Virginia, 2012

United States presidential election in Virginia, 2012
Virginia
November 6, 2012
Turnout 66.9% (voting eligible)[1]

 
Nominee Barack Obama Mitt Romney
Party Democratic Republican
Home state Illinois Massachusetts
Running mate Joe Biden Paul Ryan
Electoral vote 13 0
Popular vote 1,971,820 1,822,522
Percentage 51.16% 47.28%

County and Independent City Results

President before election

Barack Obama
Democratic

 Elected President

Barack Obama
Democratic

The 2012 United States presidential election in Virginia took place on November 6, 2012 as part of the 2012 General Election in which all 50 states plus The District of Columbia participated. Virginia voters chose 13 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.

Virginia was won by President Barack Obama with 51.16% of the vote to Mitt Romney's 47.28%, a 3.88% margin of victory. [2]

In 2008, Obama won the state by 6.3%, becoming the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Virginia since the nationwide Democratic landslide of 1964, but it had otherwise been a reliably Republican state prior to this. Much of the Democratic gains can be attributed to the growth of progressive suburban Northern Virginia, particularly in Fairfax County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County, all of which voted for Obama twice. Obama's increased strength in this heavily populated region more than canceled out his weakness across rural Virginia. On the other hand, Obama suffered an historically poor showing even in traditionally Democratic counties of Southwest Virginia, similar to his weak performance in neighboring West Virginia. The Republicans would win the White House without taking Virginia in the next election, and for the first time since 1924.

Obama's 2012 win made him the first Democratic president since Franklin Roosevelt to carry Virginia for the Democrats in two consecutive elections. The Democratic margin of victory also made 2012 the first time since 1948 that Virginia was more Democratic than the nation as a whole, albeit narrowly: Obama carried Virginia by 3.88%, while winning nationally by 3.86%.

This is also the first election since 1976 in which Virginia did not vote in the same way as neighbouring North Carolina.

General election

Candidate Ballot Access:

Results

United States presidential election in Virginia, 2012[3]
Party Candidate Running mate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Democratic Barack Obama (Incumbent) Joe Biden (Incumbent) 1,971,820 51.16% 13
Republican Mitt Romney Paul Ryan 1,822,522 47.28% 0
Libertarian Gary Johnson Jim Gray 31,216 0.81% 0
Constitution Virgil Goode Jim Clymer 13,058 0.34% 0
Green Jill Stein Cheri Honkala 8,627 0.22% 0
Write-ins Write-ins 7,246 0.19% 0
Totals 3,854,489 100.00% 13

Results by county/city

County/City Obama Votes Romney Votes Others Votes Total
Accomack 47.7% 7,655 51.2% 8,213 1.1% 183 16,051
Albemarle 55.2% 29,757 43.21% 23,297 1.6% 853 53,907
Alexandria (city) 71.1% 52,199 27.58% 20,249 1.3% 963 73,411
Alleghany 47.44% 3,403 50.11% 3,595 2.44% 175 7,173
Amelia 36.0% 2,490 62.63% 4,331 1.35% 94 6,915
Amherst 39.41% 5,900 59.29% 8,876 1.3% 194 14,970
Appomattox 30.91% 2,453 67.29% 5,340 1.79% 142 7,935
Arlington 69.1% 81,269 29.31% 34,474 1.59% 1,865 117,608
Augusta 28.06% 9,451 70.15% 23,624 1.77% 597 33,672
Bath 40.21% 894 57.3% 1,274 2.47% 55 2,223
Bedford (city) 43.67% 1,225 54.43% 1,527 1.93% 53 2,805
Bedford 27.27% 10,209 71.28% 26,679 1.43% 537 37,425
Bland 24.93% 735 72.72% 2,144 2.34% 69 2,948
Botetourt 29.88% 5,452 68.41 12,479 1.7% 310 18,241
Bristol (city) 33.73% 2,492 64.7% 4,780 1.56% 115 7,387
Brunswick 62.13% 4,994 36.92% 2,968 0.93% 75 8,037
Buchanan 32.07% 3,094 66.72% 6,436 1.2% 116 9,646
Buckingham 50.28% 3,750 47.86% 3,569 1.81% 135 7,454
Buena Vista (city) 36.38% 919 61.91% 1,564 1.7% 43 2,526
Campbell 29.55% 7,595 68.86% 17,695 1.58% 406 25,696
Caroline 53.29% 7,276 45.05% 6,151 1.65% 225 13,652
Carroll 28.52% 3,685 67.62% 8,736 3.84% 497 12,918
Charles City 65.5% 2,772 32.98% 1,396 1.51% 64 4,232
Charlotte 42.43% 2,503 56.13% 3,311 1.42% 84 5,898
Charlottesville (city) 75.74% 16,510 22.22% 4,844 2.03% 443 21,797
Chesapeake (city) 49.85% 55,052 48.81% 53,900 1.33% 1,473 110,425
Chesterfield 45.43% 77,694 53.18% 90,934 1.38% 2,360 170,988
Clarke 41.72% 3,239 55.34% 4,296 2.92% 227 7,762
Colonial Heights (city) 29.49% 2,544 68.88% 5,941 1.61% 139 8,624
Covington (city) 56.6% 1,319 41.84% 975 1.55% 36 2,330
Craig 31.12% 830 65.87% 1,757 3.0% 80 2,667
Culpeper 40.99% 8,285 57.29% 11,580 1.71% 346 20,211
Cumberland 47.97% 2,422 50.27% 2,538 1.74% 88 5,048
Danville (city) 60.27% 12,218 38.42% 7,763 1.1% 223 20,204
Dickenson 35.81% 2,473 61.9% 4,274 2.27% 157 6,904
Dinwiddie 48.2% 6,550 50.59% 6,875 1.21% 164 13,589
Emporia (city) 66.5% 1,793 32.86% 886 0.63% 17 2,696
Essex 53.14% 3,016 45.85% 2,602 1.0% 57 5,675
Fairfax (city) 57.19% 6,651 41.06% 4,775 1.75% 203 11,630
Fairfax 59.56% 315,273 39.06% 206,773 1.37% 7,241 529,287
Falls Church (city) 68.92% 5,015 29.5% 2,147 1.57% 114 7,276
Fauquier 39.27% 13,965 59.15% 21,034 1.57% 558 35,557
Floyd 35.74% 2,732 61.13% 4,673 3.13% 239 7,644
Fluvanna 46.22% 5,893 52.38% 6,678 1.4% 178 12,749
Franklin (city) 64.97% 2,833 34.31% 1,496 0.71% 31 4,360
Franklin 34.03% 9,090 62.59% 16,718 3.37% 899 26,707
Frederick 34.86% 12,690 62.8% 22,858 2.32% 846 36,394
Fredericksburg (city) 62.35% 7,131 35.49% 4,060 2.15% 246 11,437
Galax (city) 39.52% 900 58.49% 1,332 1.98% 45 2,277
Giles 36.12% 2,730 61.65% 4,660 2.16% 163 7,558
Gloucester 35.07% 6,764 62.94% 12,137 1.98% 382 19,283
Goochland 35.11% 4,676 63.44% 8,448 1.43% 191 13,315
Grayson 29.04% 2,068 67.42% 4,801 3.54% 252 7,121
Greene 36.46% 3,290 61.72% 5,569 1.82% 164 9,023
Greensville 63.64% 3,135 35.85% 1,766 0.51% 25 4,926
Halifax 46.52% 7,766 52.08% 8,694 1.39% 232 16,692
Hampton (city) 70.63% 46,966 28.03% 18,640 1.33% 884 66,490
Hanover 30.97% 18,294 67.62% 39,940 1.4% 824 59,058
Harrisonburg (city) 55.49% 8,654 42.1% 6,565 2.4% 375 15,593
Henrico 55.22% 89,594 43.42% 70,449 1.35% 2,198 162,241
Henry 41.32% 10,317 56.01% 13,984 2.66% 662 24,963
Highland 32.48% 459 65.39% 924 2.12% 30 1,413
Hopewell (city) 57.34% 5,179 41.4% 3,739 1.25% 113 9,031
Isle of Wight 42.06% 8,761 56.66% 11,802 1.27% 264 20,827
James City 43.35% 17,879 55.39% 22,843 1.26% 518 41,240
King and Queen 47.74% 1,745 51.02% 1,865 1.23% 45 3,655
King George 39.53% 4,477 58.31% 6,604 2.15% 244 11,325
King William 37.47% 3,344 61.25% 5,466 1.27% 113 8,923
Lancaster 45.23% 3,149 53.91 3,753 0.85% 59 6,961
Lee 26.91% 2,583 71.33% 6,847 1.75% 168 9,583
Lexington (city) 55.3% 1,486 42.64% 1,146 2.05% 55 2,687
Loudoun 51.53% 82,479 47.03% 75,292 1.43% 2,289 160,060
Louisa 42.26% 6,953 56.01% 9,215 1.76% 284 16,092
Lunenburg 46.8% 2,684 51.77% 2,969 1.41% 81 5,374
Lynchburg (city) 43.75% 15,948 54.34% 19,806 1.9% 694 36,448
Madison 39.9% 2,639 58.49% 3,869 1.57% 106 6,614
Manassas (city) 55.77% 8,478 42.51% 6,463 1.7% 259 15,200
Manassas Park (city) 61.83% 2,879 36.49% 1,699 1.68% 78 4,656
Martinsville (city) 61.34% 3,855 36.79% 2,312 1.86% 117 6,284
Mathews 33.62% 1,807 64.9% 3,488 1.47% 79 5,374
Mecklenburg 45.9% 6,921 52.88% 7,973 2.26% 183 8,111
Middlesex 38.98% 2,370 59.52% 3,619 1.5% 91 6,080
Montgomery 48.53% 19,903 48.78% 20,006 2.68% 1,100 41,009
Nelson 50.55% 4,171 47.84% 3,947 1.6% 132 8,250
New Kent 32.45% 3,555 66.15% 7,246 1.39% 152 10,953
Newport News (city) 64.32% 51,100 34.27% 27,230 1.4% 1,114 79,444
Norfolk (city) 72.01% 62,687 26.59% 23,147 1.39% 1,209 87,043
Northampton 57.63% 3,741 41.22% 2,676 1.14% 74 6,491
Northumberland 42.22% 3,191 57.02% 4,310 0.75% 57 7,558
Norton (city) 37.93% 566 59.98% 895 2.08% 31 1,492
Nottoway 48.84% 3,344 49.79% 3,409 1.36% 93 6,846
Orange 42.0% 6,870 56.52% 9,244 1.48% 240 16,354
Page 36.4% 3,724 62.02% 6,344 1.56% 160 10,228
Patrick 29.26% 2,417 68.07% 5,622 2.66% 220 8,259
Petersburg (city) 89.78% 14,283 9.59% 1,527 0.62% 98 15,908
Pittsylvania 35.38% 10,858 62.78% 19,263 1.83% 560 30,681
Poquoson (city) 23.62% 1,679 74.75% 5,312 1.62% 115 7,106
Portsmouth (city) 70.77% 32,501 27.99% 12,858 1.23% 563 45,922
Powhatan 26.33% 4,088 72.14% 11,200 1.53% 237 15,525
Prince Edward 55.54% 5,132 42.77% 3,952 1.68% 155 9,239
Prince George 43.56% 6,991 55.33% 8,879 0.91% 176 16,046
Prince William 57.34% 103,331 41.32% 74,458 1.34% 2,406 180,195
Pulaski 36.04% 5,292 60.76% 8,920 3.19% 468 14,680
Radford (city) 50.6% 2,732 46.67% 2,520 2.72% 147 5,399
Rappahannock 45.44% 1,980 53.04% 2,311 1.51% 66 4,357
Richmond (city) 77.81% 75,921 20.54% 20,050 1.64% 1,598 97,569
Richmond 41.75% 1,574 57.29% 2,160 0.95% 36 3,770
Roanoke (city) 60.1% 24,134 37.33% 14,991 2.57% 1,030 40,155
Roanoke 36.53% 18,711 61.74% 31,624 1.72% 882 51,217
Rockbridge 40.16% 4,088 57.95% 5,898 1.86% 191 10,268
Rockingham 28.86% 10,065 69.36% 24,186 1.74% 615 35,866
Russell 30.75% 3,718 67.67% 8,180 1.57% 190 12,088
Salem (city) 38.64% 4,760 59.25% 7,299 2.1% 259 12,318
Scott 23.96% 2,395 74.44% 7,439 1.58% 158 9,992
Shenandoah 33.39% 6,469 64.71% 12,538 1.89% 366 19,373
Smyth 32.64% 4,171 65.57% 8,379 2.17% 227 12,777
Southampton 47.89% 4,437 51.09% 4,733 1.01% 94 9,264
Spotsylvania 43.4% 25,165 54.92% 31,844 1.66% 965 57,974
Stafford 44.86% 27,182 53.61% 32,480 1.52% 921 60,583
Staunton (city) 51.09% 5,728 47.02% 5,272 1.87% 210 11,210
Suffolk (city) 57.01% 24,267 41.86% 17,820 1.12% 479 42,586
Surry 59.79% 2,576 38.78% 1,671 1.42% 61 4,308
Sussex 61.72% 3,358 37.15% 2,021 1.12% 61 5,440
Tazewell 20.64% 3,661 78.06% 13,843 1.29% 228 17,732
Virginia Beach (city) 47.95% 94,299 50.49% 99,291 1.55% 3,051 196,641
Warren 38.63% 6,452 59.1% 9,869 2.26% 377 16,698
Washington 27.6% 7,076 70.77% 18,141 1.62% 415 25,632
Waynesboro (city) 43.68% 3,840 54.48% 4,790 1.83% 161 8,791
Westmoreland 52.89% 4,295 45.94% 3,731 1.16% 94 8,120
Williamsburg (city) 63.28% 4,903 34.61% 2,682 2.1% 163 7,748
Winchester (city) 49.47% 5,094 48.03% 4,946 2.49% 256 10,296
Wise 25.03% 3,760 73.75% 11,076 1.21% 182 15,018
Wythe 30.61% 3,783 67.35% 8,324 2.1% 251 12,268
York 38.82% 13,183 59.5% 20,204 1.67% 566 33,953

Source:

Democratic primary

Because Democratic President Barack Obama was unopposed by members of his party in seeking reelection, no Democratic primary was held.

Republican primary

Virginia Republican primary, 2012
Virginia
March 6, 2012 (2012-03-06)

 
Candidate Mitt Romney Ron Paul
Home state Massachusetts Texas
Delegate count 43 3
Popular vote 158,119 107,451
Percentage 59.54% 40.46%

Virginia results by county
  Mitt Romney
  Ron Paul

The Republican primary took place on Super Tuesday, March 6, 2012.[4][5]

Virginia has 49 delegates to the 2012 Republican National Convention including three unbound superdelegates. 33 delegates are awarded on a winner-take-all basis by congressional district. The other 13 are awarded to the candidate who wins a majority statewide, or allocated proportionally if no one gets majority.[6]

Virginia Republican primary, March 6, 2012[7][8]
Candidate Votes Percentage Delegates[9]
Mitt Romney 158,119 59.54% 43
Ron Paul 107,451 40.46% 3
Unprojected delegates: 3
Total: 265,570 100.00% 49

Ballot

Only Mitt Romney and Ron Paul appeared on the ballot. Other candidates failed to submit the necessary 10,000 signatures (including at least 400 from each of the state's 11 congressional districts) required to get on the ballot by the deadline of 22 December 2011.[10]

On 27 December, Rick Perry filed a lawsuit – joined later by Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman and Rick Santorum – in the federal District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Richmond that challenged provisions that determine who can appear on the primary ballot. Perry and the other candidates argued that the chairman of the Virginia Republican Party and members of State Board of Elections violated their rights by enforcing state requirements as to the number of signatures, the qualifications for signers and the requirement that all petition circulators be "an eligible or registered qualified voter in Virginia." Perry and the other litigants argued that these restrictions "impose a severe burden" on their freedoms of speech and association under the First and Fourteenth Amendment.[11][12][13]

The case was Perry v. Judd. U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. ruled on 29 December that he would not issue an injunction to stop the printing of ballots before a scheduled hearing on 13 January.[14] The Virginia Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli, representing the state, made a motion to dismiss the case because of a lack of standing.[15] On 13 January, Judge Gibney, Jr. dismissed the lawsuit citing the equitable doctrine of laches ("sleeping on one's rights"), writing, "They knew the rules in Virginia many months ago... In essence, they played the game, lost, and then complained that the rules were unfair."[16] The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed, emphasizing that although the constitutional challenge had merit and was possibly even likely to prevail, the candidate plaintiffs' failure to file in a timely fashion required dismissal.[17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dr. Michael McDonald (December 31, 2012). "2012 General Election Turnout Rates". George Mason University. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
  2. ↑ "VA Board of Elections". Retrieved August 3, 2013.
  3. ↑ http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/2012election.pdf
  4. ↑ "Primary and Caucus Printable Calendar". CNN. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Presidential Primary Dates" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  6. ↑ Nate Silver (March 4, 2012). "Romney Could Win Majority of Super Tuesday Delegates". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  7. ↑ https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2012/A64F1220-CC02-4DED-AB71-09E34ED36339/unofficial/1_s.shtml
  8. ↑ "Virginia Republican". March 6, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Super Tuesday Delegate Count". DemocraticConventionWatch.com. March 6, 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  10. ↑ Anita Kumar, "Gingrich, Perry disqualified from Va. primary ballot" (December 24, 2011).
  11. ↑ Martin Weil and Anita Kumar. "" (December 27, 2011). Washington Post.
  12. ↑ Catalina Camia, "Perry sues to get on Virginia ballot" (December 28, 2011). USA Today.
  13. ↑ Kevin Liptak, "Candidates join Perry's Virginia lawsuit" (December 31, 2011). CNN.
  14. ↑ Rebecca Kaplan, "Perry Hearing on Virginia Ballot Challenge Set for Jan. 13" (December 29, 2011). National Journal.
  15. ↑ Tom Schoenberg, "Virginia Argues Perry Can't Challenge Ballot" (January 4, 2012). Bloomberg.
  16. ↑ Catalina Camia, "Judge rejects Perry, GOP hopefuls for Va. ballot" (January 13, 2012). USA Today.
  17. ↑ Perry v. Judd, Unpublished E.D. Va. (2012).
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