As the incumbent president,Barack Obama faced token opposition in the primary election. President Obama cemented his status as the Democraticpresumptive nominee on April 3, 2012, by securing the minimum number of pledged delegates needed to clinch the nomination,[2][3] thus making the Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primaries a non-factor in the nomination.
Although Texas CongressmanRon Paul, former Speaker of the HouseNewt Gingrich, former Pennsylvania SenatorRick Santorum, and former Massachusetts GovernorMitt Romney all appeared on the ballot, Romney had all but secured the Republican nomination by the time of the Pennsylvania primaries.[4] Though Romney had not yet clinched the minimum number of delegates needed to secure the nomination, Gingrich, Santorum, and Paul were too far behind in the delegates count to mount a serious comeback, and had subsequently stopped actively campaigning.[5]
