2012_United_States_presidential_election_in_Ohio
2012 United States presidential election in Ohio
Election in Ohio
The 2012 United States presidential election in Ohio 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. Ohio voters chose 18 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. This election continued Ohio's bellwether streak, as the state voted for the winner of the presidency in every election from 1964 to 2016.
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| Turnout | 70.54%[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County Results
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President Obama won the popular vote in Ohio with 50.58% of the vote over Mitt Romney in second place at 47.60%, a Democratic victory margin of 2.98%.[2] Obama's performance was a decline from 2008 when he won the state by a 4.58% margin over U.S. Senator John McCain, and he narrowly lost five counties that he won in 2008.[3] However, he narrowly improved his margins in Cuyahoga County and Franklin County, home to the second largest city, Cleveland, and the state's capital and largest city, Columbus, respectively and greatly improved his losing margin in Ross County home to the state's 1st and 3rd capital Chillicothe, allowing him to carry the state. Obama became the first Democrat to win the White House without Belmont County since Grover Cleveland in 1892, as well as the first to win without neighboring Jefferson County since Woodrow Wilson in 1916 and the first to win without Monroe or Tuscarawas Counties since John F. Kennedy in 1960.
As of the 2020 United States presidential election, this is the last time the Democratic presidential nominee won Ohio, as well as the last time Ashtabula County, Erie County, Ottawa County, Portage County, Sandusky County, Stark County, Trumbull County, and Wood County, have voted Democratic in a presidential election.
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary was held on March 6, 2012, the same day as the Republican primary. Incumbent President Barack Obama ran unopposed, and thus won all 151 of the state's delegates.
Republican primary
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 Ohio results by county
Mitt Romney
Rick Santorum | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2012 Ohio Republican presidential primary took place on March 6, 2012.[4]
Ohio has 66 delegates to the Republican National Convention. Three party officials (also known as "superdelegates") are not bound by the primary result. Forty-eight delegates are generally awarded winner-take-all by Congressional district. Another 15 delegates are awarded to the candidate who gets an outright majority statewide, or are allocated proportionately among candidates winning at least 20% of the vote if no candidate wins a majority.[5]
| 2012 Ohio Republican presidential primary[6] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Estimated national delegates |
| Mitt Romney | 460,831 | 37.9% | 38 |
| Rick Santorum | 448,580 | 37.1% | 25 |
| Newt Gingrich | 177,183 | 14.6% | 0 |
| Ron Paul | 113,256 | 9.3% | 0 |
| Rick Perry | 7,539 | 0.6% | 0 |
| Jon Huntsman, Jr. | 6,490 | 0.5% | 0 |
| Unprojected delegates | 7 | ||
| Totals | 1,213,879 | 100.0% | 66 |
Despite an early lead in the vote count and having won most counties, Santorum's lead was reduced and overcome by Romney as Hamilton and Cuyahoga County results came in.[7] Romney also won areas such as Akron, Youngstown, Dayton and Columbus. These and other highly populated counties would eventually go to Obama in November.
| Key: | Withdrew prior to contest |
Notes:
1. In the six congressional districts where Rick Santorum submitted only a partial slate of district delegates and district alternates by the late December 2011 deadline, he will be automatically awarded only the number of delegates he submitted, assuming he wins the particular district. The Ohio Republican Party said on March 2, 2012, that the remaining delegates in such districts will be "considered unbound" until a panel composed of three members of the Ohio GOP's central committee decides which campaign (if any) is permitted to appoint such delegates.[8]
2. In three congressional districts (OH-6, OH-9 and OH-13), Rick Santorum did not make the district-specific portion of the ballot.
3. In every district, each of the 6 candidates listed above appears on the "at-large" portion of the ballot. The results of the at-large ballot will determine the allocation of fifteen national convention delegates.
Campaign
Ohio was considered a key battleground state throughout the general election campaign, and both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney campaigned extensively in the state.[9]
Results
| 2012 United States presidential election in Ohio[10] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Barack Obama | Joe Biden | 2,827,709 | 50.58% | 18 | |
| Republican | Mitt Romney | Paul Ryan | 2,661,437 | 47.60% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson | Jim Gray | 49,493 | 0.89% | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein | Cheri Honkala | 18,573 | 0.33% | 0 | |
| Independent | Richard Duncan | Ricky Johnson | 12,502 | 0.22% | 0 | |
| Constitution | Virgil Goode | Jim Clymer | 8,152 | 0.15% | 0 | |
| Socialist | Stewart Alexander | Alex Mendoza | 2,967 | 0.05% | 0 | |
| Others | 23 | 0.00% | 0 | |||
| Totals | 5,590,934 | 100.00% | 18 | |||
| Voter turnout (registered voters) | 70.54% | |||||
Results by county
| County[11] | Barack Obama Democratic |
Mitt Romney Republican |
Gary Johnson[12] Libertarian |
Jill Stein[12] Green |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 3,976 | 35.76% | 6,865 | 61.75% | 98 | 0.87% | 55 | 0.49% | 124 | 1.11% | -2,889 | -25.99% | 11,118 |
| Allen | 17,914 | 37.06% | 29,502 | 61.03% | 464 | 0.96% | 164 | 0.34% | 297 | 0.61% | -11,588 | -23.97% | 48,341 |
| Ashland | 8,281 | 34.02% | 15,519 | 63.76% | 221 | 0.91% | 115 | 0.47% | 204 | 0.84% | -7,238 | -29.74% | 24,340 |
| Ashtabula | 23,803 | 55.10% | 18,298 | 42.36% | 433 | 1.00% | 224 | 0.52% | 442 | 1.03% | 5,505 | 12.74% | 43,200 |
| Athens | 18,307 | 66.02% | 8,543 | 30.81% | 434 | 1.57% | 188 | 0.68% | 256 | 0.92% | 9,764 | 35.21% | 27,728 |
| Auglaize | 5,831 | 24.87% | 17,169 | 73.22% | 209 | 0.89% | 83 | 0.35% | 157 | 0.67% | -11,338 | -48.35% | 23,449 |
| Belmont | 14,156 | 44.67% | 16,758 | 52.88% | 232 | 0.73% | 178 | 0.56% | 364 | 1.15% | -2,602 | -8.21% | 31,688 |
| Brown | 7,107 | 36.65% | 11,916 | 61.45% | 191 | 0.98% | 68 | 0.35% | 110 | 0.57% | -4,809 | -24.80% | 19,392 |
| Butler | 62,388 | 36.58% | 105,176 | 61.68% | 1,654 | 0.97% | 413 | 0.24% | 899 | 0.52% | -42,788 | -25.10% | 170,530 |
| Carroll | 5,543 | 41.73% | 7,315 | 55.07% | 173 | 1.30% | 71 | 0.53% | 182 | 1.37% | -1,772 | -13.34% | 13,284 |
| Champaign | 7,044 | 38.14% | 11,045 | 59.81% | 159 | 0.86% | 66 | 0.36% | 154 | 0.83% | -4,001 | -21.67% | 18,468 |
| Clark | 31,297 | 48.67% | 31,820 | 49.49% | 509 | 0.79% | 214 | 0.33% | 461 | 0.72% | -523 | -0.82% | 64,301 |
| Clermont | 30,458 | 31.55% | 64,208 | 66.52% | 1,069 | 1.11% | 248 | 0.26% | 542 | 0.56% | -33,750 | -34.97% | 96,525 |
| Clinton | 5,791 | 31.85% | 12,009 | 66.05% | 195 | 1.07% | 56 | 0.31% | 132 | 0.73% | -6,218 | -34.20% | 18,183 |
| Columbiana | 19,821 | 42.90% | 25,251 | 54.66% | 434 | 0.94% | 216 | 0.47% | 477 | 1.03% | -5,430 | -11.76% | 46,199 |
| Coshocton | 6,940 | 43.97% | 8,390 | 53.16% | 157 | 0.99% | 96 | 0.61% | 201 | 1.28% | -1,450 | -9.19% | 15,784 |
| Crawford | 7,507 | 37.82% | 11,852 | 59.72% | 186 | 0.94% | 108 | 0.54% | 194 | 0.98% | -4,345 | -21.90% | 19,847 |
| Cuyahoga | 447,273 | 69.32% | 190,660 | 29.55% | 3,448 | 0.53% | 1,564 | 0.24% | 2,317 | 0.36% | 256,613 | 39.77% | 645,262 |
| Darke | 6,826 | 26.84% | 18,108 | 71.21% | 212 | 0.83% | 86 | 0.34% | 198 | 0.78% | -11,282 | -44.37% | 25,430 |
| Defiance | 7,732 | 42.16% | 10,176 | 55.49% | 187 | 1.02% | 64 | 0.35% | 180 | 0.99% | -2,444 | -13.33% | 18,339 |
| Delaware | 37,292 | 37.71% | 60,194 | 60.86% | 851 | 0.86% | 205 | 0.21% | 357 | 0.36% | -22,902 | -23.15% | 98,899 |
| Erie | 21,793 | 55.17% | 16,952 | 42.92% | 300 | 0.76% | 158 | 0.40% | 297 | 0.75% | 4,841 | 12.25% | 39,500 |
| Fairfield | 29,890 | 41.39% | 41,034 | 56.82% | 624 | 0.86% | 210 | 0.29% | 462 | 0.64% | -11,144 | -15.43% | 72,220 |
| Fayette | 4,249 | 38.49% | 6,620 | 59.97% | 87 | 0.79% | 18 | 0.16% | 64 | 0.58% | -2,371 | -21.48% | 11,038 |
| Franklin | 346,373 | 60.53% | 215,997 | 37.75% | 5,535 | 0.97% | 1,659 | 0.29% | 2,624 | 0.46% | 130,376 | 22.78% | 572,188 |
| Fulton | 9,073 | 42.58% | 11,738 | 55.08% | 248 | 1.16% | 82 | 0.38% | 169 | 0.80% | -2,665 | -12.50% | 21,310 |
| Gallia | 4,557 | 36.10% | 7,750 | 61.40% | 79 | 0.63% | 69 | 0.55% | 167 | 1.32% | -3,193 | -25.30% | 12,622 |
| Geauga | 19,659 | 38.46% | 30,589 | 59.85% | 386 | 0.76% | 182 | 0.36% | 297 | 0.58% | -10,930 | -21.39% | 51,113 |
| Greene | 32,256 | 38.57% | 49,819 | 59.57% | 933 | 1.12% | 245 | 0.29% | 373 | 0.45% | -17,563 | -21.00% | 83,626 |
| Guernsey | 7,450 | 44.22% | 8,993 | 53.37% | 174 | 1.03% | 70 | 0.42% | 162 | 0.96% | -1,543 | -9.15% | 16,849 |
| Hamilton | 219,927 | 52.50% | 193,326 | 46.15% | 3,756 | 0.90% | 1,012 | 0.24% | 873 | 0.21% | 26,601 | 6.35% | 418,894 |
| Hancock | 12,564 | 35.11% | 22,443 | 62.72% | 352 | 0.98% | 130 | 0.36% | 294 | 0.82% | -9,879 | -27.61% | 35,783 |
| Hardin | 4,619 | 37.04% | 7,489 | 60.06% | 172 | 1.38% | 68 | 0.55% | 122 | 0.98% | -2,870 | -23.02% | 12,470 |
| Harrison | 2,950 | 41.24% | 4,019 | 56.19% | 62 | 0.87% | 47 | 0.66% | 75 | 1.05% | -1,069 | -14.95% | 7,153 |
| Henry | 5,658 | 39.69% | 8,257 | 57.92% | 169 | 1.19% | 55 | 0.39% | 118 | 0.83% | -2,599 | -18.23% | 14,257 |
| Highland | 6,054 | 33.86% | 11,413 | 63.83% | 176 | 0.98% | 67 | 0.37% | 169 | 0.95% | -5,359 | -29.97% | 17,879 |
| Hocking | 6,157 | 48.22% | 6,285 | 49.22% | 133 | 1.04% | 57 | 0.45% | 136 | 1.06% | -128 | -1.00% | 12,768 |
| Holmes | 2,608 | 22.55% | 8,702 | 75.23% | 93 | 0.80% | 43 | 0.37% | 121 | 1.05% | -6,094 | -52.68% | 11,567 |
| Huron | 11,006 | 44.54% | 13,060 | 52.85% | 260 | 1.05% | 115 | 0.47% | 270 | 1.10% | -2,054 | -8.31% | 24,711 |
| Jackson | 5,166 | 38.54% | 7,904 | 58.97% | 94 | 0.70% | 101 | 0.75% | 139 | 1.04% | -2,738 | -20.43% | 13,404 |
| Jefferson | 15,385 | 46.37% | 17,034 | 51.34% | 248 | 0.75% | 157 | 0.47% | 353 | 1.06% | -1,649 | -4.97% | 33,177 |
| Knox | 10,470 | 36.78% | 17,266 | 60.66% | 306 | 1.08% | 114 | 0.40% | 307 | 1.07% | -6,796 | -23.88% | 28,463 |
| Lake | 57,680 | 48.61% | 58,744 | 49.50% | 1,073 | 0.90% | 436 | 0.37% | 732 | 0.62% | -1,064 | -0.89% | 118,665 |
| Lawrence | 10,744 | 41.43% | 14,651 | 56.50% | 171 | 0.66% | 93 | 0.36% | 273 | 1.05% | -3,907 | -15.07% | 25,932 |
| Licking | 34,201 | 41.94% | 45,503 | 55.80% | 817 | 1.00% | 311 | 0.38% | 718 | 0.88% | -11,302 | -13.86% | 81,550 |
| Logan | 7,062 | 33.31% | 13,633 | 64.31% | 214 | 1.01% | 80 | 0.38% | 210 | 0.99% | -6,571 | -31.00% | 21,199 |
| Lorain | 81,464 | 56.87% | 59,405 | 41.47% | 1,275 | 0.89% | 554 | 0.39% | 555 | 0.39% | 22,059 | 15.40% | 143,253 |
| Lucas | 136,616 | 64.86% | 69,940 | 33.21% | 2,318 | 1.10% | 652 | 0.31% | 1,095 | 0.52% | 66,676 | 31.65% | 210,621 |
| Madison | 6,845 | 38.99% | 10,342 | 58.91% | 167 | 0.95% | 67 | 0.38% | 136 | 0.77% | -3,497 | -19.92% | 17,557 |
| Mahoning | 77,059 | 63.38% | 42,641 | 35.07% | 744 | 0.61% | 370 | 0.30% | 770 | 0.63% | 34,418 | 28.31% | 121,584 |
| Marion | 12,504 | 45.61% | 14,265 | 52.03% | 285 | 1.04% | 132 | 0.48% | 232 | 0.85% | -1,761 | -6.42% | 27,418 |
| Medina | 38,785 | 42.65% | 50,418 | 55.45% | 838 | 0.92% | 326 | 0.36% | 564 | 0.62% | -11,633 | -12.80% | 90,931 |
| Meigs | 4,027 | 39.41% | 5,895 | 57.69% | 111 | 1.09% | 70 | 0.69% | 115 | 1.13% | -1,868 | -18.28% | 10,218 |
| Mercer | 4,745 | 21.89% | 16,561 | 76.40% | 142 | 0.66% | 83 | 0.38% | 145 | 0.67% | -11,816 | -54.51% | 21,676 |
| Miami | 16,383 | 31.50% | 34,606 | 66.53% | 554 | 1.07% | 144 | 0.28% | 327 | 0.63% | -18,223 | -35.03% | 52,014 |
| Monroe | 3,035 | 44.75% | 3,548 | 52.31% | 48 | 0.71% | 47 | 0.69% | 104 | 1.54% | -513 | -7.56% | 6,782 |
| Montgomery | 137,139 | 51.42% | 124,841 | 46.81% | 2,548 | 0.96% | 775 | 0.29% | 1,404 | 0.53% | 12,298 | 4.61% | 266,707 |
| Morgan | 2,814 | 45.86% | 3,179 | 51.81% | 42 | 0.68% | 27 | 0.44% | 74 | 1.21% | -365 | -5.95% | 6,136 |
| Morrow | 5,933 | 36.59% | 9,865 | 60.83% | 174 | 1.07% | 79 | 0.49% | 166 | 1.02% | -3,932 | -24.24% | 16,217 |
| Muskingum | 17,002 | 45.73% | 19,264 | 51.81% | 352 | 0.95% | 185 | 0.50% | 376 | 1.00% | -2,262 | -6.08% | 37,179 |
| Noble | 2,131 | 36.17% | 3,563 | 60.48% | 62 | 1.05% | 44 | 0.75% | 91 | 1.54% | -1,432 | -24.31% | 5,891 |
| Ottawa | 11,503 | 51.11% | 10,538 | 46.83% | 220 | 0.98% | 97 | 0.43% | 147 | 0.65% | 965 | 4.28% | 22,505 |
| Paulding | 3,538 | 38.67% | 5,354 | 58.51% | 101 | 1.10% | 48 | 0.52% | 109 | 1.19% | -1,816 | -19.84% | 9,150 |
| Perry | 7,033 | 46.82% | 7,627 | 50.78% | 120 | 0.80% | 76 | 0.51% | 164 | 1.10% | -594 | -3.96% | 15,020 |
| Pickaway | 9,684 | 40.09% | 14,037 | 58.11% | 206 | 0.85% | 74 | 0.31% | 153 | 0.63% | -4,353 | -18.02% | 24,154 |
| Pike | 5,684 | 49.02% | 5,685 | 49.03% | 77 | 0.66% | 44 | 0.38% | 106 | 0.91% | -1 | -0.01% | 11,596 |
| Portage | 39,453 | 51.65% | 35,242 | 46.14% | 844 | 1.10% | 316 | 0.41% | 529 | 0.70% | 4,211 | 5.51% | 76,384 |
| Preble | 6,211 | 30.71% | 13,535 | 66.92% | 230 | 1.14% | 82 | 0.41% | 167 | 0.83% | -7,324 | -36.21% | 20,225 |
| Putnam | 4,318 | 23.47% | 13,721 | 74.57% | 160 | 0.87% | 71 | 0.39% | 130 | 0.71% | -9,403 | -51.10% | 18,400 |
| Richland | 22,687 | 39.25% | 33,867 | 58.59% | 503 | 0.87% | 245 | 0.42% | 504 | 0.87% | -11,180 | -19.34% | 57,806 |
| Ross | 14,569 | 48.31% | 15,008 | 49.76% | 223 | 0.74% | 105 | 0.35% | 255 | 0.85% | -439 | -1.45% | 30,160 |
| Sandusky | 14,541 | 49.98% | 13,755 | 47.28% | 324 | 1.11% | 162 | 0.56% | 313 | 1.07% | 786 | 2.70% | 29,095 |
| Scioto | 15,077 | 48.23% | 15,492 | 49.56% | 211 | 0.67% | 154 | 0.49% | 328 | 1.04% | -415 | -1.33% | 31,262 |
| Seneca | 11,353 | 44.80% | 13,243 | 52.26% | 316 | 1.25% | 136 | 0.54% | 295 | 1.17% | -1,890 | -7.46% | 25,343 |
| Shelby | 6,343 | 26.54% | 17,142 | 71.71% | 178 | 0.74% | 75 | 0.31% | 165 | 0.69% | -10,799 | -45.17% | 23,903 |
| Stark | 89,432 | 49.21% | 88,581 | 48.74% | 1,588 | 0.87% | 732 | 0.40% | 1,413 | 0.78% | 851 | 0.47% | 181,746 |
| Summit | 153,041 | 57.03% | 111,001 | 41.36% | 2,059 | 0.77% | 764 | 0.28% | 1,493 | 0.56% | 42,040 | 15.67% | 268,358 |
| Trumbull | 61,672 | 60.48% | 38,279 | 37.54% | 739 | 0.72% | 432 | 0.42% | 841 | 0.83% | 23,393 | 22.94% | 101,963 |
| Tuscarawas | 18,407 | 44.15% | 22,242 | 53.35% | 435 | 1.04% | 175 | 0.42% | 434 | 1.03% | -3,835 | -9.20% | 41,693 |
| Union | 8,805 | 34.36% | 16,289 | 63.57% | 280 | 1.09% | 83 | 0.32% | 166 | 0.65% | -7,484 | -29.21% | 25,623 |
| Van Wert | 4,029 | 28.99% | 9,585 | 68.97% | 95 | 0.68% | 65 | 0.47% | 124 | 0.89% | -5,556 | -39.98% | 13,898 |
| Vinton | 2,436 | 44.37% | 2,856 | 52.02% | 62 | 1.13% | 41 | 0.75% | 95 | 1.72% | -420 | -7.65% | 5,490 |
| Warren | 32,909 | 29.60% | 76,564 | 68.85% | 1,011 | 0.91% | 220 | 0.20% | 493 | 0.44% | -43,655 | -39.25% | 111,197 |
| Washington | 11,651 | 39.36% | 17,284 | 58.39% | 235 | 0.79% | 134 | 0.45% | 298 | 1.01% | -5,633 | -19.03% | 29,602 |
| Wayne | 19,808 | 38.71% | 30,251 | 59.12% | 451 | 0.88% | 184 | 0.36% | 471 | 0.93% | -10,443 | -20.41% | 51,165 |
| Williams | 7,266 | 41.04% | 10,047 | 56.74% | 148 | 0.84% | 95 | 0.54% | 150 | 0.84% | -2,781 | -15.70% | 17,706 |
| Wood | 32,802 | 51.21% | 29,704 | 46.37% | 940 | 1.47% | 279 | 0.44% | 334 | 0.52% | 3,098 | 4.84% | 64,059 |
| Wyandot | 4,137 | 39.02% | 6,180 | 58.29% | 99 | 0.93% | 68 | 0.64% | 118 | 1.11% | -2,043 | -19.27% | 10,602 |
| Totals | 2,827,709 | 50.58% | 2,661,437 | 47.60% | 49,493 | 0.89% | 18,573 | 0.33% | 33,722 | 0.60% | 166,272 | 2.98% | 5,590,934 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Belmont (largest city: Martins Ferry)
- Jefferson (largest city: Steubenville)
- Lake (largest city: Mentor)
- Monroe (largest city: Woodsfield)
- Tuscarawas (largest city: New Philadelphia)
By congressional district
Despite losing the state, Romney won 12 of 16 congressional districts.[13]
| District | Romney | Obama | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 52.4% | 46.26% | Steve Chabot |
| 2nd | 54.75% | 43.66% | Brad Wenstrup |
| 3rd | 28.9% | 69.65% | Joyce Beatty |
| 4th | 55.98% | 42% | Jim Jordan |
| 5th | 53.88% | 44.1% | Bob Latta |
| 6th | 55.2% | 42.67% | Bill Johnson |
| 7th | 53.71% | 44.23% | Bob Gibbs |
| 8th | 61.9% | 36.45% | John Boehner |
| 9th | 30.87% | 67.55% | Marcy Kaptur |
| 10th | 50.14% | 48.23% | Mike Turner |
| 11th | 16.55% | 82.74% | Marcia Fudge |
| 12th | 54.37% | 43.9% | Pat Tiberi |
| 13th | 35.42% | 62.95% | Tim Ryan |
| 14th | 50.89% | 47.58% | Steve LaTourette |
| 15th | 51.86% | 46.34% | Steve Stivers |
| 16th | 53.35% | 45.19% | Jim Renacci |
Obama's victory in Ohio was enough to push him over the 270 electoral vote line allowing him to win the election. At first the Romney campaign contested the call, but conceded at about 1:00 A.M. President Obama's victory in the state can be attributed to several factors; he only won 17 out of Ohio's 88 counties. However, those 17 counties combined account for 56.56% of its total population.[14] Romney did do well in most rural areas of the state, particularly in western Ohio. Romney also won all but one county in the Appalachia region, becoming the first Republican since Richard Nixon’s 2,900-plus-county landslide in 1972 to carry Belmont, Jefferson and Monroe Counties, and losing only Athens County, home of Ohio University. He also managed to flip the swing counties of Lake and Tuscarawas. Romney also did well in the northern Columbus suburbs. For Romney, most of his wins came from smaller populated counties. Obama won by comfortable margins in Franklin, Hamilton, and Lucas counties, home to the cities of Columbus, Cincinnati, and Toledo, respectively. Obama's greatest support came from northeast Ohio, centered in Cuyahoga and Summit counties, home to the cities of Cleveland and Akron, respectively, the second and fourth largest cities in the state. The surrounding Cleveland–Akron–Canton metropolitan area and the Lake Erie shore went mostly to Obama, allowing him to carry the state as a whole by a modest 2.98% margin.
In February 2013, nineteen cases of voter fraud were investigated in Hamilton County.[15] Three individuals were charged with voter fraud the following month, with one individual alleged to have voted six times.[16] These incidents would not have affected the outcome of the Ohio race as President Obama ultimately carried the state by 166,272 votes. Some experts believe that the popularity of the auto industry bailout put in place under President Obama helped him take the state.[9][17]
- "2012 ELECTIONS RESULTS". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
- "Ohio Decides 2012 – Candidates for President". Ohio Secretary of State.[permanent dead link]
- "Ohio - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- "Primary and Caucus Printable Calendar". CNN. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
- Nate Silver (March 4, 2012). "Romney Could Win Majority of Super Tuesday Delegates". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- "Secretary of State results". Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
- Exclusive Super Tuesday Numbers from Hamilton County, CNN, March 6, 2012, retrieved April 26, 2016
- "Ohio delegates". ABC News. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
- Zeleny, Jeff; Sussman, Dalia (October 31, 2012). "Ohio Working Class May Offer Key to Obama's Re-election". The New York Times.
- "2012 Elections Results - Ohio Secretary of State". www.ohiosos.gov. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- "OH US President November 06, 2012". Our Campaigns.
- "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts". Daily Kos. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- "County Population Totals: 2010-2019". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- Emily Maxwell (February 6, 2013). "Poll worker accused of voter fraud in Hamilton County speaks out". WCPO. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
"Possible Ohio voter fraud investigation heats up". San Francisco Chronicle. Associated Press. February 6, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2013. - Eric Shawn (March 11, 2013). "Cincinnati poll worker charged with voting half dozen times in November". Fox News. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
"Nun, Poll Worker, Widower Charged With Voter Fraud". WKRC. Sinclair Broadcast Group. March 11, 2013. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
- The Green Papers: for Ohio
- The Green Papers: Major state elections in chronological order