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 County results Congressional district results
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The2012 United States presidential election in Nebraska took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus theDistrict of Columbia participated. Voters chose five 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.
Mitt Romney carriedNebraska, taking 59.80% of the vote to Barack Obama's 38.03%, a margin of 21.77%. Nebraska is one of two states (along withMaine) which splits its electoral votes based on the winner in each congressional district. In 2012, Romney won all 3 congressional districts, thus winning all 5 of the state's electoral votes. This was a change from2008, when the state as a whole had voted for RepublicanJohn McCain but Democrat Barack Obama still won an electoral vote from the state.Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, home toOmaha, had split with the rest of the state and awarded one of Nebraska's electoral votes to a Democratic presidential nominee for the first time since1964. Nebraska's 2nd congressional district,Indiana, andNorth Carolina were the only sources of electoral votes won by Obama in 2008 that Romney managed to flip. Obama only won a single county,Thurston, largely due to its majority and increasingly politically activeNative American population. He also narrowly lost three of four counties he won in 2008:Douglas,Lancaster, andSaline, home to the cities ofOmaha,Lincoln, andCrete, respectively. He became the first Democrat sinceGrover Cleveland in 1892 to win without carrying Saline County.
As of the2024 presidential election, this is the last time that the Democrat won Thurston County and the Republican won Douglas or Lancaster County. This was the last time until 2024 that Nebraska's 2nd congressional district did not back the overall winner of the Electoral College, and when the Democratic candidate won the presidency without carrying the district.
The Democratic primary was not held asBarack Obama ran unopposed and had secured enough delegates for nomination.[1]
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 Nebraska results by county Mitt Romney (Note:Italicization indicates a withdrawn candidacy) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 2012 U.S. presidential election |
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| Democratic Party |
| Republican Party |
| Minor parties |
| Related races |
The Republican primary was on May 15, 2012.[2] This primary was purely of an advisory nature. From June 1 to June 10 caucuses county conventions caucused to elect delegates to the state convention. These delegates were not bound to vote for any candidate, but at the state convention on July 14, elected 32 bound National delegates. 3 party leaders attended the National Convention unbound, making a total of 35 voting delegates going to the national convention from Nebraska.
| 2012 Nebraska Republican primary | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Delegates |
| Mitt Romney | 131,436 | 70.89% | 30 |
| Rick Santorum | 25,830 | 13.93% | 0 |
| Ron Paul | 18,508 | 9.98% | 2 |
| Newt Gingrich | 9,628 | 5.19% | 0 |
| Unpledged delegates: | 3 | ||
| Total: | 185,402 | 100.0% | 35 |
| Key: | Withdrew prior to contest |
The State Convention was held inGrand Island on July 14, 2012.
| Convention Results[3][4] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | State | Party leaders | Total | |||||||
 Mitt Romney | 3 | 1 | 3 | 23 | 2 | 32 | |||||||
| Ron Paul | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||||||
| Unknown | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Total | 9 | 23 | 3 | 35 | |||||||||
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Huffington Post[5] | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| CNN[6] | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| New York Times[7] | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| Washington Post[8] | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| RealClearPolitics[9] | Solid R | November 6, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[10] | Solid R | November 5, 2012 |
| FiveThirtyEight[11] | Solid R | November 6, 2012 |
| Source | Ranking (1st) | Ranking (2nd) | Ranking (3rd) | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Times[12] | Safe R | Lean R(flip) | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[13] | Safe R | Lean R(flip) | Safe R | November 5, 2012 |
| 2012 United States presidential election in Nebraska | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Republican | Mitt Romney | Paul Ryan | 475,064 | 59.80% | 5 | |
| Democratic | Barack Obama (incumbent) | Joe Biden (incumbent) | 302,081 | 38.03% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson | Jim Gray | 11,109 | 1.40% | 0 | |
| Write-Ins | 3,717 | 0.47% | 0 | |||
| Independent | Randall Terry | Missy Smith | 2,408 | 0.30% | 0 | |
| Totals | 794,379 | 100.00% | 5 | |||
| County | Mitt Romney Republican | Barack Obama Democratic | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 8,316 | 65.64% | 4,062 | 32.06% | 292 | 2.30% | 4,254 | 33.58% | 12,670 |
| Antelope | 2,596 | 80.32% | 571 | 17.67% | 65 | 2.01% | 2,025 | 62.65% | 3,232 |
| Arthur | 227 | 86.64% | 30 | 11.45% | 5 | 1.91% | 197 | 75.19% | 262 |
| Banner | 346 | 84.18% | 55 | 13.38% | 10 | 2.44% | 291 | 70.80% | 411 |
| Blaine | 268 | 88.45% | 29 | 9.57% | 6 | 1.98% | 239 | 78.88% | 303 |
| Boone | 2,138 | 76.19% | 615 | 21.92% | 53 | 1.89% | 1,523 | 54.27% | 2,806 |
| Box Butte | 2,869 | 60.98% | 1,692 | 35.96% | 144 | 3.06% | 1,177 | 25.02% | 4,705 |
| Boyd | 873 | 81.51% | 188 | 17.55% | 10 | 0.94% | 685 | 63.96% | 1,071 |
| Brown | 1,302 | 83.73% | 224 | 14.41% | 29 | 1.86% | 1,078 | 69.32% | 1,555 |
| Buffalo | 13,570 | 69.76% | 5,365 | 27.58% | 518 | 2.66% | 8,205 | 42.18% | 19,453 |
| Burt | 2,029 | 60.12% | 1,291 | 38.25% | 55 | 1.63% | 738 | 21.87% | 3,375 |
| Butler | 2,738 | 70.95% | 1,045 | 27.08% | 76 | 1.97% | 1,693 | 43.87% | 3,859 |
| Cass | 7,556 | 62.04% | 4,367 | 35.85% | 257 | 2.11% | 3,189 | 26.19% | 12,180 |
| Cedar | 3,278 | 75.63% | 958 | 22.10% | 98 | 2.27% | 2,320 | 53.53% | 4,334 |
| Chase | 1,584 | 84.84% | 254 | 13.60% | 29 | 1.56% | 1,330 | 71.24% | 1,867 |
| Cherry | 2,557 | 83.45% | 436 | 14.23% | 71 | 2.32% | 2,121 | 69.22% | 3,064 |
| Cheyenne | 3,449 | 74.19% | 1,084 | 23.32% | 116 | 2.49% | 2,365 | 50.87% | 4,649 |
| Clay | 2,232 | 75.74% | 667 | 22.63% | 48 | 1.63% | 1,565 | 53.11% | 2,947 |
| Colfax | 2,051 | 66.83% | 969 | 31.57% | 49 | 1.60% | 1,082 | 35.26% | 3,069 |
| Cuming | 2,876 | 72.33% | 1,031 | 25.93% | 69 | 1.74% | 1,845 | 46.40% | 3,976 |
| Custer | 4,296 | 78.14% | 1,083 | 19.70% | 119 | 2.16% | 3,213 | 58.44% | 5,498 |
| Dakota | 3,094 | 50.42% | 2,922 | 47.62% | 120 | 1.96% | 172 | 2.80% | 6,136 |
| Dawes | 2,478 | 66.47% | 1,132 | 30.36% | 118 | 3.17% | 1,346 | 36.11% | 3,728 |
| Dawson | 5,460 | 69.47% | 2,199 | 27.98% | 200 | 2.55% | 3,261 | 41.49% | 7,859 |
| Deuel | 763 | 75.02% | 215 | 21.14% | 39 | 3.84% | 548 | 53.88% | 1,017 |
| Dixon | 1,745 | 64.97% | 870 | 32.39% | 71 | 2.64% | 875 | 32.58% | 2,686 |
| Dodge | 8,995 | 60.17% | 5,673 | 37.95% | 282 | 1.88% | 3,322 | 22.22% | 14,950 |
| Douglas | 113,220 | 50.56% | 106,456 | 47.54% | 4,251 | 1.90% | 6,764 | 3.02% | 223,927 |
| Dundy | 792 | 80.41% | 176 | 17.87% | 17 | 1.72% | 616 | 62.54% | 985 |
| Fillmore | 2,007 | 69.71% | 807 | 28.03% | 65 | 2.26% | 1,200 | 41.68% | 2,879 |
| Franklin | 1,112 | 72.40% | 384 | 25.00% | 40 | 2.60% | 728 | 47.40% | 1,536 |
| Frontier | 1,007 | 77.16% | 271 | 20.77% | 27 | 2.07% | 736 | 56.39% | 1,305 |
| Furnas | 1,782 | 79.55% | 423 | 18.88% | 35 | 1.57% | 1,359 | 60.67% | 2,240 |
| Gage | 5,513 | 57.06% | 3,903 | 40.40% | 245 | 2.54% | 1,610 | 16.66% | 9,661 |
| Garden | 829 | 75.99% | 242 | 22.18% | 20 | 1.83% | 587 | 53.81% | 1,091 |
| Garfield | 769 | 81.81% | 149 | 15.85% | 22 | 2.34% | 620 | 65.96% | 940 |
| Gosper | 734 | 75.05% | 230 | 23.52% | 14 | 1.43% | 504 | 51.53% | 978 |
| Grant | 322 | 88.71% | 30 | 8.26% | 11 | 3.03% | 292 | 80.45% | 363 |
| Greeley | 820 | 69.20% | 340 | 28.69% | 25 | 2.11% | 480 | 40.51% | 1,185 |
| Hall | 12,646 | 62.51% | 7,161 | 35.40% | 422 | 2.09% | 5,485 | 27.11% | 20,229 |
| Hamilton | 3,600 | 73.91% | 1,146 | 23.53% | 125 | 2.56% | 2,454 | 50.38% | 4,871 |
| Harlan | 1,395 | 78.46% | 354 | 19.91% | 29 | 1.63% | 1,041 | 58.55% | 1,778 |
| Hayes | 476 | 88.31% | 51 | 9.46% | 12 | 2.23% | 425 | 78.85% | 539 |
| Hitchcock | 1,178 | 78.80% | 274 | 18.33% | 43 | 2.87% | 904 | 60.47% | 1,495 |
| Holt | 3,922 | 79.41% | 882 | 17.86% | 135 | 2.73% | 3,040 | 61.55% | 4,939 |
| Hooker | 330 | 83.54% | 59 | 14.94% | 6 | 1.52% | 271 | 68.60% | 395 |
| Howard | 1,890 | 65.85% | 914 | 31.85% | 66 | 2.30% | 976 | 34.00% | 2,870 |
| Jefferson | 2,166 | 62.86% | 1,195 | 34.68% | 85 | 2.46% | 971 | 28.18% | 3,446 |
| Johnson | 1,225 | 59.38% | 790 | 38.29% | 48 | 2.33% | 435 | 21.09% | 2,063 |
| Kearney | 2,349 | 73.87% | 773 | 24.31% | 58 | 1.82% | 1,576 | 49.56% | 3,180 |
| Keith | 3,044 | 75.01% | 928 | 22.87% | 86 | 2.12% | 2,116 | 52.14% | 4,058 |
| Keya Paha | 393 | 81.20% | 80 | 16.53% | 11 | 2.27% | 313 | 64.67% | 484 |
| Kimball | 1,235 | 73.21% | 395 | 23.41% | 57 | 3.38% | 840 | 49.80% | 1,687 |
| Knox | 2,885 | 71.48% | 1,059 | 26.24% | 92 | 2.28% | 1,826 | 45.24% | 4,036 |
| Lancaster | 62,434 | 49.02% | 62,015 | 48.69% | 2,906 | 2.29% | 419 | 0.33% | 127,355 |
| Lincoln | 10,728 | 68.53% | 4,450 | 28.43% | 477 | 3.06% | 6,278 | 40.10% | 15,655 |
| Logan | 356 | 82.60% | 68 | 15.78% | 7 | 1.62% | 288 | 66.82% | 431 |
| Loup | 290 | 81.01% | 62 | 17.32% | 6 | 1.67% | 228 | 63.69% | 358 |
| Madison | 10,062 | 72.47% | 3,485 | 25.10% | 338 | 2.43% | 6,577 | 47.37% | 13,885 |
| McPherson | 237 | 81.44% | 41 | 14.09% | 13 | 4.47% | 196 | 67.35% | 291 |
| Merrick | 2,490 | 71.37% | 925 | 26.51% | 74 | 2.12% | 1,565 | 44.86% | 3,489 |
| Morrill | 1,681 | 76.76% | 455 | 20.78% | 54 | 2.46% | 1,226 | 55.98% | 2,190 |
| Nance | 1,106 | 68.23% | 481 | 29.67% | 34 | 2.10% | 625 | 38.56% | 1,621 |
| Nemaha | 2,012 | 62.60% | 1,128 | 35.10% | 74 | 2.30% | 884 | 27.50% | 3,214 |
| Nuckolls | 1,574 | 71.84% | 568 | 25.92% | 49 | 2.24% | 1,006 | 45.92% | 2,191 |
| Otoe | 4,258 | 60.99% | 2,561 | 36.68% | 163 | 2.33% | 1,697 | 24.31% | 6,982 |
| Pawnee | 899 | 67.04% | 400 | 29.83% | 42 | 3.13% | 499 | 37.21% | 1,341 |
| Perkins | 1,135 | 81.42% | 238 | 17.07% | 21 | 1.51% | 897 | 64.35% | 1,394 |
| Phelps | 3,400 | 77.63% | 880 | 20.09% | 100 | 2.28% | 2,520 | 57.54% | 4,380 |
| Pierce | 2,707 | 78.90% | 637 | 18.57% | 87 | 2.53% | 2,070 | 60.33% | 3,431 |
| Platte | 10,061 | 74.68% | 3,148 | 23.37% | 264 | 1.95% | 6,913 | 51.31% | 13,473 |
| Polk | 1,890 | 76.92% | 528 | 21.49% | 39 | 1.59% | 1,362 | 55.43% | 2,457 |
| Red Willow | 3,891 | 78.83% | 952 | 19.29% | 93 | 1.88% | 2,939 | 59.54% | 4,936 |
| Richardson | 2,443 | 65.34% | 1,191 | 31.85% | 105 | 2.81% | 1,252 | 33.49% | 3,739 |
| Rock | 672 | 85.17% | 103 | 13.05% | 14 | 1.78% | 569 | 72.12% | 789 |
| Saline | 2,557 | 51.57% | 2,289 | 46.17% | 112 | 2.26% | 268 | 5.40% | 4,958 |
| Sarpy | 43,213 | 60.45% | 26,671 | 37.31% | 1,606 | 2.24% | 16,542 | 23.14% | 71,490 |
| Saunders | 6,770 | 65.65% | 3,307 | 32.07% | 235 | 2.28% | 3,463 | 33.58% | 10,312 |
| Scotts Bluff | 9,648 | 67.53% | 4,327 | 30.29% | 312 | 2.18% | 5,321 | 37.24% | 14,287 |
| Seward | 5,003 | 66.06% | 2,386 | 31.51% | 184 | 2.43% | 2,617 | 34.55% | 7,573 |
| Sheridan | 2,021 | 81.76% | 390 | 15.78% | 61 | 2.46% | 1,631 | 65.98% | 2,472 |
| Sherman | 927 | 60.59% | 552 | 36.08% | 51 | 3.33% | 375 | 24.51% | 1,530 |
| Sioux | 624 | 84.44% | 101 | 13.67% | 14 | 1.89% | 523 | 70.77% | 739 |
| Stanton | 1,949 | 73.71% | 614 | 23.22% | 81 | 3.07% | 1,335 | 50.49% | 2,644 |
| Thayer | 1,874 | 70.48% | 728 | 27.38% | 57 | 2.14% | 1,146 | 43.10% | 2,659 |
| Thomas | 360 | 88.24% | 42 | 10.29% | 6 | 1.47% | 318 | 77.95% | 408 |
| Thurston | 939 | 42.39% | 1,247 | 56.30% | 29 | 1.31% | -308 | -13.91% | 2,215 |
| Valley | 1,657 | 75.49% | 498 | 22.69% | 40 | 1.82% | 1,159 | 52.80% | 2,195 |
| Washington | 6,899 | 67.33% | 3,132 | 30.57% | 215 | 2.10% | 3,767 | 36.76% | 10,246 |
| Wayne | 2,493 | 67.71% | 1,074 | 29.17% | 115 | 3.12% | 1,419 | 38.54% | 3,682 |
| Webster | 1,258 | 72.22% | 442 | 25.37% | 42 | 2.41% | 816 | 46.85% | 1,742 |
| Wheeler | 345 | 77.01% | 93 | 20.76% | 10 | 2.23% | 252 | 56.25% | 448 |
| York | 4,874 | 76.70% | 1,373 | 21.61% | 108 | 1.69% | 3,501 | 55.09% | 6,355 |
| Totals | 475,064 | 59.80% | 302,081 | 38.03% | 17,234 | 2.17% | 172,983 | 21.77% | 794,379 |
| Democratic Hold | Republican Hold Gain from Democratic |
Romney won all three of Nebraska's congressional districts.[14]
| District | Romney | Obama | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 57% | 41% | Jeff Fortenberry |
| 2nd | 53% | 46% | Lee Terry |
| 3rd | 70% | 28% | Adrian Smith |
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)State and district results of the2012 United States presidential election | ||
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