2012 United States presidential election in South Dakota
November 6, 2012
 
Nominee Mitt Romney Barack Obama
Party Republican Democratic
Home state Massachusetts Illinois
Running mate Paul Ryan Joe Biden
Electoral vote 3 0
Popular vote 210,610 145,039
Percentage 57.89% 39.87%
County Results
President before election

Barack Obama
Democratic

 Elected President

Barack Obama
Democratic

The 2012 United States presidential election in South Dakota 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 Dakota voters chose three 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, all seventeen news organizations making predictions for the election considered this a state Romney would win, or otherwise considered as a safe red state. South Dakota has not voted for a Democratic presidential nominee since Lyndon B. Johnson carried it in his 44-state landslide in 1964. South Dakota, just as all of the other states in the Great Plains, is among the most Republican states in the country. According to a 2012 Gallup poll, South Dakota is the 9th most conservative state in the country, with Republicans having an 11 percentage point advantage over Democrats in terms of party affiliation or identification.[1] It is also the 10th whitest state in the country as of 2012, at 83.8%,[2] and has the 4th highest gun ownership rate in the country at 56.6%, according to The Washington Post.[3] Both of these voting blocs are relatively solid for the Republican Party.[4]

While Obama lost the state by only 8.41% in 2008, illustrating a potential resurgence of Democratic strength among the agrarian population as seen in states such as Iowa, the state was returned to the safe Republican column in 2012. Romney won South Dakota by an 18.02% margin of victory. Romney was able to win back southeast Dakota: Obama became competitive there in 2008, when he won Minnehaha County (and many of its suburbs), home to the state's largest city of Sioux Falls, by only 587 votes.[5] Romney carried upwards of 60% of the vote in many counties, with his best performance in the West River. He also flipped Brown County, where Aberdeen is.

Obama's best performance was in majority Native American counties in the west of the state. He carried 93.35% of the vote in Shannon County (now known as Oglala Lakota), home to the Pine Ridge Reservation and the Oglala Lakota tribe. The counties of Buffalo; Dewey; and Todd, where the Crow Creek; Cheyenne River and Standing Rock; and Rosebud reservations are located, respectively, also delivered great margins to the president. Clay County, home to the University of South Dakota, was the only county in the southeast to vote for Obama.

As of the 2020 presidential election, this is the most last time in which the Democratic candidate won Corson County, Day County, Marshall County, and Roberts County.

Primary elections

Democratic primary

Republican primary

2012 South Dakota Republican presidential primary
June 5, 2012 (2012-06-05)
 
Candidate Mitt Romney Ron Paul
Home state Massachusetts Texas
Delegate count 25 0
Popular vote 34,033 6,704
Percentage 66.05% 13.01%
 
Candidate Rick Santorum Uncommited
Home state Pennsylvania N/A
Delegate count 0 0
Popular vote 5,916 2,797
Percentage 11.48% 5.43%
South Dakota results by county
  Mitt Romney
(Note: Italicization indicates a withdrawn candidacy)

The Republican primary took place on June 5, 2012.[6] 25 delegates will be chosen, for a total of 28 delegates to go to the national convention.

2012 South Dakota Republican primary
Candidate Votes Percentage Delegates
Mitt Romney 34,033 66.1% 25
Ron Paul 6,704 13.01% 0
Rick Santorum 5,916 11.48% 0
Uncommitted 2,797 5.43% 0
Newt Gingrich 2,074 4.03% 0
Unpledged delegates: 3
Total: 51,524 100.0% 28
Key:Withdrew prior to contest

General election

Results

2012 United States presidential election in South Dakota[7]
Party Candidate Running mate Votes Percentage Electoral votes
Republican Mitt Romney Paul Ryan 210,610 57.89% 3
Democratic Barack Obama Joe Biden 145,039 39.87% 0
Libertarian Gary Johnson Jim Gray 5,795 1.59% 0
Constitution Virgil Goode Jim Clymer 2,371 0.65% 0
Totals 363,815 100.00% 3

Results by county

County[8] Mitt Romney
Republican		 Barack Obama
Democratic		 Gary Johnson
Libertarian		 Virgil Hamlin Goode, Jr.
Constitution		 Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # % # % # %
Aurora 804 57.43% 556 39.71% 27 1.93% 13 0.93% 248 17.72% 1,400
Beadle 4,230 58.24% 2,881 39.67% 107 1.47% 45 0.62% 1,349 18.57% 7,263
Bennett 626 52.04% 548 45.55% 18 1.50% 11 0.91% 78 6.49% 1,203
Bon Homme 1,830 59.53% 1,167 37.96% 55 1.79% 22 0.72% 663 21.57% 3,074
Brookings 6,220 50.16% 5,827 46.99% 253 2.04% 100 0.81% 393 3.17% 12,400
Brown 8,321 51.79% 7,250 45.12% 409 2.55% 88 0.55% 1,071 6.67% 16,068
Brule 1,499 63.01% 824 34.64% 37 1.56% 19 0.80% 675 28.37% 2,379
Buffalo 166 25.90% 472 73.63% 3 0.47% 0 0.00% -306 -47.73% 641
Butte 3,073 73.03% 1,000 23.81% 94 2.23% 39 0.93% 2,071 49.22% 4,208
Campbell 616 78.27% 153 19.44% 12 1.52% 6 0.76% 463 58.83% 787
Charles Mix 2,230 59.25% 1,483 39.40% 30 0.80% 21 0.56% 747 19.85% 3,764
Clark 1,067 58.59% 713 39.15% 27 1.48% 14 0.77% 354 19.44% 1,821
Clay 2,147 41.02% 2,955 56.46% 107 2.04% 25 0.48% -808 -15.44% 5,234
Codington 6,696 58.10% 4,588 39.81% 169 1.47% 71 0.62% 2,108 18.29% 11,524
Corson 515 42.92% 648 54.00% 30 2.50% 7 0.58% -133 -11.08% 1,200
Custer 3,062 67.74% 1,335 29.54% 83 1.84% 40 0.88% 1,727 38.20% 4,520
Davison 4,757 59.68% 3,042 38.16% 125 1.57% 47 0.59% 1,715 21.52% 7,971
Day 1,320 45.95% 1,497 52.11% 33 1.15% 23 0.80% -177 -6.16% 2,873
Deuel 1,175 54.12% 941 43.34% 32 1.47% 23 1.06% 234 10.78% 2,171
Dewey 663 34.99% 1,207 63.69% 15 0.79% 10 0.53% -544 -28.70% 1,895
Douglas 1,334 78.93% 332 19.64% 16 0.95% 8 0.47% 1,002 59.29% 1,690
Edmunds 1,264 65.29% 622 32.13% 37 1.91% 13 0.67% 642 33.16% 1,936
Fall River 2,258 64.22% 1,140 32.42% 75 2.13% 43 1.22% 1,118 31.80% 3,516
Faulk 765 67.88% 331 29.37% 22 1.95% 9 0.80% 434 38.51% 1,127
Grant 2,034 56.41% 1,493 41.40% 48 1.33% 31 0.86% 541 15.01% 3,606
Gregory 1,507 70.06% 599 27.85% 31 1.44% 14 0.65% 908 42.21% 2,151
Haakon 940 86.08% 138 12.64% 8 0.73% 6 0.55% 802 73.44% 1,092
Hamlin 1,803 64.55% 921 32.98% 47 1.68% 22 0.79% 882 31.57% 2,793
Hand 1,242 67.21% 575 31.11% 21 1.14% 10 0.54% 667 36.10% 1,848
Hanson 1,627 67.34% 760 31.46% 16 0.66% 13 0.54% 867 35.88% 2,416
Harding 638 86.33% 82 11.10% 16 2.17% 3 0.41% 556 75.23% 739
Hughes 5,219 64.00% 2,786 34.16% 107 1.31% 43 0.53% 2,433 29.84% 8,155
Hutchinson 2,451 71.56% 923 26.95% 25 0.73% 26 0.76% 1,528 44.61% 3,425
Hyde 531 72.44% 189 25.78% 11 1.50% 2 0.27% 342 46.66% 733
Jackson 661 59.76% 426 38.52% 9 0.81% 10 0.90% 235 21.24% 1,106
Jerauld 538 53.48% 452 44.93% 11 1.09% 5 0.50% 86 8.55% 1,006
Jones 490 80.46% 108 17.73% 9 1.48% 2 0.33% 382 62.73% 609
Kingsbury 1,451 55.64% 1,092 41.87% 45 1.73% 20 0.77% 359 13.77% 2,608
Lake 3,419 54.40% 2,724 43.34% 98 1.56% 44 0.70% 695 11.06% 6,285
Lawrence 7,025 61.85% 3,973 34.98% 262 2.31% 99 0.87% 3,052 26.87% 11,359
Lincoln 13,611 62.00% 7,982 36.36% 261 1.19% 98 0.45% 5,629 25.64% 21,952
Lyman 933 59.46% 605 38.56% 24 1.53% 7 0.45% 328 20.90% 1,569
Marshall 889 44.74% 1,061 53.40% 29 1.46% 8 0.40% -172 -8.66% 1,987
McCook 1,655 63.34% 905 34.63% 33 1.26% 20 0.77% 750 28.71% 2,613
McPherson 921 75.80% 272 22.39% 12 0.99% 10 0.82% 649 53.41% 1,215
Meade 7,566 69.95% 2,928 27.07% 214 1.98% 109 1.01% 4,638 42.88% 10,817
Mellette 381 49.54% 375 48.76% 5 0.65% 8 1.04% 6 0.78% 769
Miner 636 55.79% 479 42.02% 18 1.58% 7 0.61% 157 13.77% 1,140
Minnehaha 40,342 52.68% 34,674 45.28% 1,118 1.46% 449 0.59% 5,668 7.40% 76,583
Moody 1,535 50.61% 1,429 47.12% 47 1.55% 22 0.73% 106 3.49% 3,033
Pennington 28,232 63.49% 15,125 34.02% 816 1.84% 291 0.65% 13,107 29.47% 44,464
Perkins 1,205 75.79% 319 20.06% 39 2.45% 27 1.70% 886 55.73% 1,590
Potter 1,029 74.51% 339 24.55% 10 0.72% 3 0.22% 690 49.96% 1,381
Roberts 1,883 44.24% 2,302 54.09% 42 0.99% 29 0.68% -419 -9.85% 4,256
Sanborn 688 61.70% 389 34.89% 22 1.97% 16 1.43% 299 26.81% 1,115
Shannon 188 5.98% 2,937 93.39% 14 0.45% 6 0.19% -2,749 -87.41% 3,145
Spink 1,670 54.92% 1,300 42.75% 54 1.78% 17 0.56% 370 12.17% 3,041
Stanley 1,063 69.03% 435 28.25% 33 2.14% 9 0.58% 628 40.78% 1,540
Sully 613 74.94% 186 22.74% 16 1.96% 3 0.37% 427 52.20% 818
Todd 498 19.94% 1,976 79.13% 11 0.44% 12 0.48% -1,478 -59.19% 2,497
Tripp 1,905 70.79% 737 27.39% 23 0.85% 26 0.97% 1,168 43.40% 2,691
Turner 2,715 64.49% 1,411 33.52% 47 1.12% 37 0.88% 1,304 30.97% 4,210
Union 4,698 61.85% 2,782 36.62% 81 1.07% 35 0.46% 1,916 25.23% 7,596
Walworth 1,731 70.31% 671 27.25% 41 1.67% 19 0.77% 1,060 43.06% 2,462
Yankton 5,495 55.09% 4,226 42.37% 199 2.00% 54 0.54% 1,269 12.72% 9,974
Ziebach 314 41.26% 439 57.69% 6 0.79% 2 0.26% -125 -16.43% 761
Totals210,61057.89%145,03939.87%5,7951.59%2,3710.65%65,57118.02%363,815
County Flips:

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

South Dakota has only one congressional district because of its small population compared to other states. This district, called the At-Large district because it covers the entire state, is equivalent to the statewide election results.

District Romney Obama Representative
At-large 57.89% 39.87% Kristi Noem

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jones, Jeffrey M. (February 2, 2012). "More States Move to GOP in 2011". Gallup. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  2. ↑ "2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates". American FactFinder, U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  3. ↑ Cochran, Laura (May 26, 2006). "Gun Ownership by State". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  4. ↑ Cohen, Micah (August 24, 2012). "In South Dakota, Only the Farm Trumps Conservatism". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  5. ↑ "South Dakota - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Primary and Caucus Printable Calendar". CNN. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
  7. ↑ "South Dakota Secretary of State". Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  8. ↑ Our Campaigns; SD US Presidential Election Race, November 06, 2012
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.