November 6, 2012 2016 → 1,323,101 1,185,243 Date 7 February 2012 | 9 0 51.5% 46.1% | |
 | ||
Obama—40-50%
Obama—50-60%
Obama—60-70%
Obama—70-80% Romney—50-60%
Romney—60-70%
Romney—70-80%
Romney—80-90% | ||
The 2012 United States presidential election in Colorado took place on November 6, 2012 as part of the 2012 General Election in which all 50 states plus The District of Columbia participated. Colorado 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. Prior to the election, 17 news organizations considered this a state Obama would win, or otherwise considered as a safe blue state. Obama and Biden carried Colorado with 51.5% of the popular vote to Romney's and Ryan's 46.1%, thus winning the state's 9 electoral votes.
Contents
As in 2008, the key to Obama's victory was Democratic dominance in the Denver area, sweeping not just the city but also the heavily populated suburban counties around Denver, particularly Adams, Arapahoe, and Jefferson counties, as well as winning Larimer County, home to Fort Collins. Obama also took nearly 70% of the vote in Boulder County, home to Boulder, and won Chaffee County, which he had lost to McCain in 2008. Romney's most populated county wins were in El Paso County, where Colorado Springs is located, and Weld County.
This election solidified Colorado's transformation from a historically Republican-leaning state into a Democratic-leaning swing state. Obama's 2012 victory in the state, on the heels of his 2008 victory, marked the first time that the Democrats had carried Colorado in two consecutive elections since the landslide re-election of Franklin Roosevelt in 1936.
General election
Candidate Ballot Access:
Democratic caucuses
In 2012, Barack Obama ran unopposed in the Colorado Democratic caucus.
Republican caucuses
The Republican caucuses were held on "Republican Party Precinct Caucus Day" (February 7, 2012). Caucus locations opened on 9 PM, February 7, 2012, with 36 delegates at stake; 33 of which are tied to the caucuses while 3 are unpledged RNC delegates. The event occurred alongside the Minnesota Republican caucuses as well the Missouri Republican primary. The race was widely expected to be won by Mitt Romney even on the day of the caucus, but a strong surge by Rick Santorum across all three races that day carried him to a close victory.
Results with 100% (2,917 of 2,917 precincts) reporting:
Conventions
There is no formal system of allocating delegates to candidates in any step of the election process. At each meeting the participants decides what the best course of action is.
None of the 36 delegates are legally bound to vote for a candidate.