11 0 54.13% 43.93% | 1,420,543 1,152,887 Start date November 6, 2012 | |
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The 2012 United States presidential election in Indiana took place on November 6, 2012 as part of the 2012 General Election in which all 50 states plus The District of Columbia participated. Indiana voters chose 11 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. Romney and Ryan carried Indiana with 54.1% of the popular vote to Obama's and Biden's 43.9%, thus winning the state's 11 electoral votes.
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Indiana was one of just two states (along with North Carolina) which had been won by Obama in 2008 but which flipped to the Republicans in 2012. Although the state normally leans Republican, in 2008 Obama had been the first Democrat to win Indiana since 1964, albeit by a narrow 1.03% margin. However, unlike North Carolina, Indiana was not seriously contested again by the Obama campaign in 2012, and consequently Romney was able to carry it by a relatively comfortable 10.20%.
Obama also won in Vigo County, home to Terre Haute and a noted bellwether; it has voted for the winner of every presidential election all but twice since 1892.
Campaign
Incumbent Obama didn't visit Indiana although first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton stumped in the state. Meanwhile, the Romney campaign sensed victory in the state, and he visited Indiana several times.
Results
Following Romney's win in Indiana, The Indianapolis Star said that "Voters painted Indiana bright red on Tuesday- with a splash or so of blue" and that "voters also proved that while this state is conservative, it doesn't like to stray too far from the middle".
The following people were delegate electors for Romney-Ryan in the Indiana Republican Party:
Democratic primary
No major Democratic candidate challenged President Obama for the Democratic nomination in 2012. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Republican primary
The Republican primary took place on May 8, 2012.