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| Turnout | 66.65% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County results Congressional district results
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The2012 United States presidential election in Arkansas took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the2012 General Election in which all 50 states plus theDistrict of Columbia participated.Arkansas voters chose six electors to represent them in theElectoral College via a popular vote pittingincumbentDemocraticPresidentBarack Obama and his running mate,Vice PresidentJoe Biden, againstRepublican challenger and formerMassachusetts GovernorMitt Romney and his running mate,CongressmanPaul Ryan.
Romney and Ryan carried Arkansas with 60.57% of the popular vote to Obama's and Biden's 36.88%, winning the state's six electoral votes.[1] While Arkansas had been won by the Democrats as recently as1996 by native sonBill Clinton, Obama proved to be a poor fit for the state, and his 23.69% margin of loss was the worst defeat for a Democratic presidential candidate in Arkansas since1972's margin of 38.1%. Obama also was defeated by a larger margin in Arkansas thanWalter Mondale in1984.
As of the2024 presidential election, this is the last election in whichWoodruff County voted for the Democratic candidate. This is also the first election since 1984 where either nominee received 60% of the vote. Obama is the only Democrat to ever win two terms without carrying the state at least once.
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 Results by county Obama: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% Wolfe: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% | |||||||||||||||||||
The Democratic primary had 47 delegates at stake. All 47 delegates were allocated to, and pledged to vote forBarack Obama at the2012 Democratic National Convention.[2] WhileJohn Wolfe Jr. qualified for 19 delegates[3] to the convention by virtue of his performances in Arkansas, State party officials said Wolfe missed two paperwork filing deadlines related to the delegate process, therefore he was not eligible for any delegates.[4][5] Wolfe has commenced legal proceedings to have delegates in his name seated.[6] Eight other unpledged delegates, known assuperdelegates, also attended the convention and cast their votes as well.
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 Arkansas results by county Mitt Romney (Note:Italicization indicates a withdrawn candidacy) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Republican primary had 33 delegates at stake.Mitt Romney won all 75 counties in Arkansas. As a result, all 33 delegates were allocated to, and pledged to vote for Mitt Romney at the2012 Republican National Convention.
Rick Santorum andNewt Gingrich withdrew from the [presidential race on April 10 and May 2, 2012, respectively. Both endorsed Mitt Romney as the nominee.
| Arkansas Republican primary, 2012[7] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Delegates |
| Mitt Romney | 104,200 | 68.39% | 33 |
| Ron Paul | 20,399 | 13.39% | 0 |
| Rick Santorum | 20,308 | 13.33% | 0 |
| Newt Gingrich | 7,453 | 4.89% | 0 |
| Unpledged delegates: | 3 | ||
| Total: | 152,360 | 100% | 36 |
| Key: | Withdrew prior to contest |
| Results by county (actual votes in parentheses):[7] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Mitt Romney | Ron Paul | Rick Santorum (withdrawn) | Newt Gingrich (withdrawn) | County | Mitt Romney | Ron Paul | Rick Santorum (withdrawn) | Newt Gingrich (withdrawn) | |
| Arkansas | 68.86% (418) | 12.69% (77) | 11.53% (70) | 6.92% (42) | Lee | 48.00% (12) | 4.00% (1) | 36.00% (9) | 12.00% (3) | |
| Ashley | 70.09% (232) | 7.25% (24) | 17.52% (58) | 5.14% (17) | Lincoln | 72.55% (37) | 11.76% (6) | 9.80% (5) | 5.88% (3) | |
| Baxter | 73.04% (2338) | 13.71% (439) | 8.78% (281) | 4.47% (143) | Little River | 76.42% (162) | 5.19% (11) | 12.74% (27) | 5.66% (12) | |
| Benton | 65.10% (14527) | 14.69% (3278) | 15.65% (3493) | 4.56% (1018) | Logan | 70.36% (869) | 12.31% (152) | 12.31% (152) | 5.02% (62) | |
| Boone | 65.60% (1903) | 15.41% (447) | 13.89% (403) | 5.10% (148) | Lonoke | 65.51% (2758) | 13.52% (569) | 15.11% (636) | 5.87% (247) | |
| Bradley | 73.66% (193) | 8.02% (21) | 12.60% (33) | 5.73% (15) | Madison | 66.34% (889) | 15.82% (212) | 14.18% (190) | 3.66% (49) | |
| Calhoun | 63.11% (65) | 13.59% (14) | 19.42% (20) | 3.88% (4) | Marion | 69.93% (528) | 13.38% (101) | 12.05% (91) | 4.64% (35) | |
| Carroll | 64.44% (1263) | 15.87% (311) | 13.67% (268) | 6.02% (118) | Miller | 73.82% (1824) | 9.19% (227) | 12.18% (301) | 4.82% (119) | |
| Chicot | 79.07% (102) | 6.20% (8) | 6.20% (8) | 8.53% (11) | Mississippi | 76.47% (364) | 9.45% (45) | 9.45% (45) | 4.62% (22) | |
| Clark | 65.55% (725) | 13.74% (152) | 13.47% (149) | 7.23% (80) | Monroe | 65.82% (52) | 10.13% (8) | 16.46% (13) | 7.59% (6) | |
| Clay | 53.64% (59) | 29.09% (32) | 13.64% (15) | 3.64% (4) | Montgomery | 72.04% (456) | 13.74% (87) | 9.16% (58) | 5.06% (32) | |
| Cleburne | 68.10% (2011) | 11.65% (344) | 13.48% (398) | 6.77% (200) | Nevada | 72.84% (59) | 8.64% (7) | 16.05% (13) | 2.47% (2) | |
| Cleveland | 68.82% (287) | 8.63% (36) | 16.31% (68) | 6.24% (26) | Newton | 61.74% (276) | 15.44% (69) | 17.45% (78) | 5.37% (24) | |
| Columbia | 71.67% (1472) | 10.81% (222) | 12.27% (252) | 5.26% (108) | Ouachita | 75.25% (830) | 7.98% (88) | 13.24% (146) | 3.54% (39) | |
| Conway | 61.90% (442) | 13.87% (99) | 19.47% (139) | 4.76% (34) | Perry | 65.91% (292) | 15.80% (70) | 14.67% (65) | 3.61% (16) | |
| Craighead | 70.92% (1678) | 10.40% (246) | 13.86% (328) | 4.82% (114) | Phillips | 68.63% (35) | 15.69% (8) | 1.96% (1) | 13.73% (7) | |
| Crawford | 72.21% (3259) | 10.26% (463) | 13.27% (599) | 4.25% (192) | Pike | 65.05% (134) | 15.53% (32) | 14.56% (30) | 4.85% (10) | |
| Crittenden | 72.18% (288) | 9.27% (37) | 10.03% (40) | 8.52% (34) | Poinsett | 64.44% (241) | 11.76% (44) | 16.04% (60) | 7.75% (29) | |
| Cross | 75.10% (196) | 6.51% (17) | 12.26% (32) | 6.13% (16) | Polk | 68.32% (1085) | 12.03% (191) | 13.29% (211) | 6.36% (101) | |
| Dallas | 70.87% (253) | 11.20% (40) | 13.45% (48) | 4.48% (16) | Pope | 69.59% (2751) | 12.32% (487) | 12.98% (513) | 5.11% (202) | |
| Desha | 67.16% (45) | 8.96% (6) | 16.42% (11) | 7.46% (5) | Prairie | 60.94% (78) | 22.66% (29) | 13.28% (17) | 3.13% (4) | |
| Drew | 72.56% (423) | 7.55% (44) | 14.24% (83) | 5.66% (33) | Pulaski | 71.27% (9758) | 13.27% (1817) | 11.52% (1578) | 3.94% (539) | |
| Faulkner | 64.50% (5233) | 15.83% (1284) | 14.93% (1211) | 4.75% (385) | Randolph | 67.01% (197) | 12.59% (37) | 15.31% (45) | 5.10% (15) | |
| Franklin | 71.32% (980) | 9.24% (127) | 13.46% (185) | 5.97% (82) | Saline | 66.50% (6782) | 15.02% (1532) | 13.93% (1421) | 4.55% (464) | |
| Fulton | 66.55% (185) | 14.75% (41) | 9.71% (27) | 8.99% (25) | Scott | 70.31% (450) | 11.25% (72) | 13.59% (87) | 4.84% (31) | |
| Garland | 72.83% (5829) | 13.58% (1087) | 8.47% (678) | 5.12% (410) | Searcy | 57.48% (857) | 20.59% (307) | 14.55% (217) | 7.38% (110) | |
| Grant | 69.24% (493) | 12.92% (92) | 12.78% (91) | 5.06% (36) | Sebastian | 70.82% (6331) | 12.09% (1081) | 12.40% (1108) | 4.69% (419) | |
| Greene | 65.83% (422) | 10.45% (67) | 17.32% (111) | 6.40% (41) | Sevier | 71.30% (164) | 14.35% (33) | 9.57% (22) | 4.78% (11) | |
| Hempstead | 71.34% (478) | 10.45% (70) | 11.79% (79) | 6.42% (43) | Sharp | 62.50% (375) | 16.17% (97) | 15.83% (95) | 5.50% (33) | |
| Hot Spring | 67.68% (693) | 13.87% (142) | 13.38% (137) | 5.08% (52) | St. Francis | 76.42% (94) | 8.13% (10) | 7.32% (9) | 8.13% (10) | |
| Howard | 69.68% (193) | 12.64% (35) | 12.27% (34) | 5.42% (15) | Stone | 69.94% (342) | 12.47% (61) | 12.47% (61) | 5.11% (25) | |
| Independence | 68.37% (536) | 13.14% (103) | 14.16% (111) | 4.34% (34) | Union | 73.34% (1642) | 11.39% (255) | 10.50% (235) | 4.78% (107) | |
| Izard | 70.97% (357) | 16.90% (85) | 8.15% (41) | 3.98% (20) | Van Buren | 71.37% (653) | 11.58% (106) | 11.37% (104) | 5.68% (52) | |
| Jackson | 64.55% (122) | 8.99% (17) | 20.63% (39) | 5.82% (11) | Washington | 68.11% (8504) | 14.93% (1864) | 12.92% (1613) | 4.04% (505) | |
| Jefferson | 70.52% (1220) | 9.71% (168) | 13.99% (242) | 5.78% (100) | White | 65.47% (3638) | 12.13% (674) | 16.63% (924) | 5.78% (321) | |
| Johnson | 65.81% (512) | 13.88% (108) | 13.24% (103) | 7.07% (55) | Woodruff | 57.89% (11) | 10.53% (2) | 21.05% (4) | 10.53% (2) | |
| Lafayette | 71.82% (288) | 9.98% (40) | 14.71% (59) | 3.49% (14) | Yell | 68.72% (681) | 13.22% (131) | 12.21% (121) | 5.85% (58) | |
| Lawrence | 66.09% (269) | 13.02% (53) | 14.50% (59) | 6.39% (26) | ||||||
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Huffington Post[8] | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| CNN[9] | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| The New York Times[10] | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| The Washington Post[11] | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| RealClearPolitics[12] | Solid R | November 6, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[13] | Solid R | November 5, 2012 |
| FiveThirtyEight[14] | Solid R | November 6, 2012 |
| 2012 United States presidential election in Arkansas[15] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | Mitt Romney | Paul Ryan | 647,744 | 60.57% | 6 | |
| Democratic | Barack Obama (incumbent) | Joe Biden (incumbent) | 394,409 | 36.88% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson | Jim Gray | 16,276 | 1.52% | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein | Cheri Honkala | 9,305 | 0.87% | 0 | |
| Socialism and Liberation | Peta Lindsay | Yari Osorio | 1,734 | 0.16% | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,069,468 | 100.00% | 6 | |||
| County | Mitt Romney Republican | Barack Obama Democratic | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Arkansas | 3,897 | 60.01% | 2,455 | 37.80% | 142 | 2.19% | 1,442 | 22.21% | 6,494 |
| Ashley | 4,867 | 61.44% | 2,859 | 36.09% | 195 | 2.47% | 2,008 | 25.35% | 7,921 |
| Baxter | 13,688 | 70.78% | 5,172 | 26.74% | 479 | 2.48% | 8,516 | 44.04% | 19,339 |
| Benton | 54,646 | 68.95% | 22,636 | 28.56% | 1,975 | 2.49% | 32,010 | 40.39% | 79,257 |
| Boone | 11,159 | 72.50% | 3,772 | 24.51% | 460 | 2.99% | 7,387 | 47.99% | 15,391 |
| Bradley | 2,134 | 58.43% | 1,449 | 39.68% | 69 | 1.89% | 685 | 18.75% | 3,652 |
| Calhoun | 1,458 | 67.07% | 660 | 30.36% | 56 | 2.57% | 798 | 36.71% | 2,174 |
| Carroll | 6,125 | 60.15% | 3,696 | 36.30% | 362 | 3.55% | 2,429 | 23.85% | 10,183 |
| Chicot | 1,670 | 38.29% | 2,649 | 60.74% | 42 | 0.97% | -979 | -22.45% | 4,361 |
| Clark | 4,343 | 51.65% | 3,811 | 45.32% | 255 | 3.03% | 532 | 6.33% | 8,409 |
| Clay | 3,225 | 63.11% | 1,738 | 34.01% | 147 | 2.88% | 1,487 | 29.10% | 5,110 |
| Cleburne | 8,693 | 74.64% | 2,620 | 22.50% | 334 | 2.86% | 6,073 | 52.14% | 11,647 |
| Cleveland | 2,313 | 70.82% | 845 | 25.87% | 108 | 3.31% | 1,468 | 44.95% | 3,266 |
| Columbia | 5,790 | 61.24% | 3,557 | 37.62% | 108 | 1.14% | 2,233 | 23.62% | 9,455 |
| Conway | 4,514 | 58.40% | 3,005 | 38.87% | 211 | 2.73% | 1,509 | 19.53% | 7,730 |
| Craighead | 20,350 | 64.20% | 10,527 | 33.21% | 823 | 2.59% | 9,823 | 30.99% | 31,700 |
| Crawford | 15,145 | 73.55% | 4,881 | 23.70% | 565 | 2.75% | 10,264 | 49.85% | 20,591 |
| Crittenden | 6,998 | 41.86% | 9,487 | 56.75% | 231 | 1.39% | -2,489 | -14.89% | 16,716 |
| Cross | 4,269 | 63.90% | 2,279 | 34.11% | 133 | 1.99% | 1,990 | 29.79% | 6,681 |
| Dallas | 1,665 | 53.99% | 1,337 | 43.35% | 82 | 2.66% | 328 | 10.64% | 3,084 |
| Desha | 1,896 | 42.90% | 2,443 | 55.27% | 81 | 1.83% | -547 | -12.37% | 4,420 |
| Drew | 3,887 | 58.60% | 2,630 | 39.65% | 116 | 1.75% | 1,257 | 18.95% | 6,633 |
| Faulkner | 26,722 | 64.45% | 13,621 | 32.85% | 1,117 | 2.70% | 13,101 | 31.60% | 41,460 |
| Franklin | 4,631 | 70.81% | 1,726 | 26.39% | 183 | 2.80% | 2,905 | 44.42% | 6,540 |
| Fulton | 2,949 | 65.21% | 1,452 | 32.11% | 121 | 2.68% | 1,497 | 33.10% | 4,522 |
| Garland | 26,014 | 63.87% | 13,804 | 33.89% | 910 | 2.24% | 12,210 | 29.98% | 40,728 |
| Grant | 4,829 | 74.53% | 1,468 | 22.66% | 182 | 2.81% | 3,361 | 51.87% | 6,479 |
| Greene | 9,071 | 65.92% | 4,000 | 29.07% | 690 | 5.01% | 5,071 | 36.85% | 13,761 |
| Hempstead | 4,284 | 61.90% | 2,468 | 35.66% | 169 | 2.44% | 1,816 | 26.24% | 6,921 |
| Hot Spring | 7,097 | 63.03% | 3,830 | 34.01% | 333 | 2.96% | 3,267 | 29.02% | 11,260 |
| Howard | 2,892 | 64.81% | 1,471 | 32.97% | 99 | 2.22% | 1,421 | 31.84% | 4,462 |
| Independence | 8,728 | 70.40% | 3,281 | 26.47% | 388 | 3.13% | 5,447 | 43.93% | 12,397 |
| Izard | 3,575 | 67.73% | 1,524 | 28.87% | 179 | 3.40% | 2,051 | 38.86% | 5,278 |
| Jackson | 3,072 | 57.45% | 2,095 | 39.18% | 180 | 3.37% | 977 | 18.27% | 5,347 |
| Jefferson | 9,520 | 34.77% | 17,470 | 63.80% | 393 | 1.43% | -7,950 | -29.03% | 27,383 |
| Johnson | 5,064 | 62.53% | 2,799 | 34.56% | 235 | 2.91% | 2,265 | 27.97% | 8,098 |
| Lafayette | 1,713 | 58.48% | 1,173 | 40.05% | 43 | 1.47% | 540 | 18.43% | 2,929 |
| Lawrence | 3,536 | 63.83% | 1,788 | 32.27% | 216 | 3.90% | 1,748 | 31.56% | 5,540 |
| Lee | 1,280 | 37.38% | 2,107 | 61.54% | 37 | 1.08% | -827 | -24.16% | 3,424 |
| Lincoln | 2,199 | 59.02% | 1,425 | 38.24% | 102 | 2.74% | 774 | 20.78% | 3,726 |
| Little River | 3,385 | 67.02% | 1,552 | 30.73% | 114 | 2.25% | 1,833 | 36.29% | 5,051 |
| Logan | 5,079 | 69.28% | 2,009 | 27.40% | 243 | 3.32% | 3,070 | 41.88% | 7,331 |
| Lonoke | 17,880 | 74.15% | 5,625 | 23.33% | 609 | 2.52% | 12,255 | 50.82% | 24,114 |
| Madison | 4,263 | 64.91% | 2,099 | 31.96% | 206 | 3.13% | 2,164 | 32.95% | 6,568 |
| Marion | 4,774 | 67.71% | 2,037 | 28.89% | 240 | 3.40% | 2,737 | 38.82% | 7,051 |
| Miller | 10,622 | 69.29% | 4,518 | 29.47% | 189 | 1.24% | 6,104 | 39.82% | 15,329 |
| Mississippi | 6,603 | 49.37% | 6,467 | 48.35% | 305 | 2.28% | 136 | 1.02% | 13,375 |
| Monroe | 1,585 | 49.07% | 1,583 | 49.01% | 62 | 1.92% | 2 | 0.06% | 3,230 |
| Montgomery | 2,369 | 69.59% | 920 | 27.03% | 115 | 3.38% | 1,449 | 42.56% | 3,404 |
| Nevada | 1,996 | 58.98% | 1,314 | 38.83% | 74 | 2.19% | 682 | 20.15% | 3,384 |
| Newton | 2,508 | 68.51% | 993 | 27.12% | 160 | 4.37% | 1,515 | 41.39% | 3,661 |
| Ouachita | 5,521 | 53.52% | 4,633 | 44.92% | 161 | 1.56% | 888 | 8.60% | 10,315 |
| Perry | 2,581 | 65.54% | 1,187 | 30.14% | 170 | 4.32% | 1,394 | 35.40% | 3,938 |
| Phillips | 2,598 | 32.76% | 5,202 | 65.60% | 130 | 1.64% | -2,604 | -32.84% | 7,930 |
| Pike | 2,847 | 75.16% | 851 | 22.47% | 90 | 2.37% | 1,996 | 52.69% | 3,788 |
| Poinsett | 4,974 | 65.79% | 2,390 | 31.61% | 196 | 2.60% | 2,584 | 34.18% | 7,560 |
| Polk | 5,955 | 77.08% | 1,556 | 20.14% | 215 | 2.78% | 4,399 | 56.94% | 7,726 |
| Pope | 14,763 | 72.23% | 5,126 | 25.08% | 550 | 2.69% | 9,637 | 47.15% | 20,439 |
| Prairie | 2,153 | 68.55% | 880 | 28.02% | 108 | 3.43% | 1,273 | 40.53% | 3,141 |
| Pulaski | 68,984 | 43.28% | 87,248 | 54.74% | 3,149 | 1.98% | -18,264 | -11.46% | 159,381 |
| Randolph | 3,701 | 62.14% | 2,046 | 34.35% | 209 | 3.51% | 1,655 | 27.79% | 5,956 |
| St. Francis | 3,368 | 40.28% | 4,910 | 58.72% | 84 | 1.00% | -1,542 | -18.44% | 8,362 |
| Saline | 32,963 | 70.04% | 12,869 | 27.34% | 1,230 | 2.62% | 20,094 | 42.70% | 47,062 |
| Scott | 2,631 | 72.28% | 897 | 24.64% | 112 | 3.08% | 1,734 | 47.64% | 3,640 |
| Searcy | 2,699 | 73.06% | 814 | 22.04% | 181 | 4.90% | 1,885 | 51.02% | 3,694 |
| Sebastian | 29,169 | 67.27% | 13,092 | 30.19% | 1,101 | 2.54% | 16,077 | 37.08% | 43,362 |
| Sevier | 3,136 | 72.42% | 1,042 | 24.06% | 152 | 3.52% | 2,094 | 48.36% | 4,330 |
| Sharp | 4,921 | 67.57% | 2,092 | 28.72% | 270 | 3.71% | 2,829 | 38.85% | 7,283 |
| Stone | 3,776 | 70.53% | 1,356 | 25.33% | 222 | 4.14% | 2,420 | 45.20% | 5,354 |
| Union | 10,699 | 62.29% | 6,196 | 36.07% | 282 | 1.64% | 4,503 | 26.22% | 17,177 |
| Van Buren | 4,365 | 67.88% | 1,832 | 28.49% | 233 | 3.63% | 2,533 | 39.39% | 6,430 |
| Washington | 39,688 | 56.33% | 28,236 | 40.07% | 2,536 | 3.60% | 11,452 | 16.26% | 70,460 |
| White | 20,011 | 75.47% | 5,765 | 21.74% | 738 | 2.79% | 14,246 | 53.73% | 26,514 |
| Woodruff | 1,227 | 45.70% | 1,340 | 49.91% | 118 | 4.39% | -113 | -4.21% | 2,685 |
| Yell | 4,042 | 67.66% | 1,722 | 28.82% | 210 | 3.52% | 2,320 | 38.84% | 5,974 |
| Totals | 647,744 | 60.57% | 394,409 | 36.88% | 27,315 | 2.55% | 253,335 | 23.69% | 1,069,468 |
Romney won all four of the state's congressional districts.[16]
| District | Romney | Obama | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 60.98% | 36.33% | Rick Crawford |
| 2nd | 54.75% | 42.9% | Timothy Griffin |
| 3rd | 65.47% | 31.6% | Steve Womack |
| 4th | 61.83% | 35.88% | Tom Cotton |
 2012 U.S. presidential election |
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| Democratic Party |
| Republican Party |
| Minor parties |
| Related races |
State and district results of the2012 United States presidential election | ||
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