# 2012 United States presidential election in Mississippi

"none" is preferred when the title is already sufficiently detailed; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
The 2012 United States presidential election in Mississippi took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 general election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Mississippi voters chose six 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.
Romney and Ryan won Mississippi with 55.29% of the popular vote to Obama and Biden's 43.79%, thus winning the state's six electoral votes by an 11.50% margin. Mississippi was one of just six states where Obama improved on his 2008 performance. According to exit polls, the black vote share in Mississippi increased from 33% in 2008 to 36% in 2012, likely explaining Obama's gains. This was the strongest showing for a Democratic presidential candidate in Mississippi since native Southerner Bill Clinton's 44.08% in 1996. Obama carried Warren County, becoming the first Democrat to do so since John F. Kennedy in 1960. He also managed to flip Benton County and improved his margins in Democratic counties throughout the state. As of the 2024 presidential election, this was the last time a Democratic presidential candidate has carried Benton, Chickasaw, and Panola counties. Obama's 562,949 votes is the highest total received by a Democratic presidential candidate in the state's history.

## Primary elections
### Democratic primary

Incumbent President Obama ran unopposed in the Mississippi primary and therefore received 100% of the vote.

### Republican primary

Elections in Mississippi :
Federal government
U.S. President
1820
1824
1828
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1848
1852
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2024
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U.S. Senate
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1820 sp
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U.S. House
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(Terr sp)
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5th sp
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1st sp
2010
2012
2014
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1st sp
2016
2018
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2022
2024 :
State government
State elections
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
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2023
Gubernatorial elections
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State Senate elections
2011
2015
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2023
House of Representatives elections
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2015
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Attorney General elections
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2007
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2015
2019
2023 :
Ballot measures
2001
Flag referendum
2004
Amendment 1
2020
Initiative 65
Measure 3 :
City of Jackson
Mayoral elections
2005
2009
2013
2014
2017
2021
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Mayoral elections
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Biloxi
Mayoral elections
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Hattiesburg
Mayoral elections
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Mayoral elections
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Mayoral elections
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2012 U.S. presidential election :
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| ← 2008 | 2012 | 2016 → |
vte :
The Republican primary took place on March 13, 2012, the same day as the Alabama Republican primary and the Hawaii Republican caucuses. After the open election, 37 bound delegates and three unbound delegates will go to the Republican National Convention.
Mississippi Republican primary, 2012 :
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Delegates |
| Rick Santorum | 96,258 | 32.73% | 13 |
| Newt Gingrich | 91,612 | 31.15% | 12 |
| Mitt Romney | 90,161 | 30.66% | 14 |
| Ron Paul | 12,955 | 4.40% | 0 |
| Rick Perry | 1,350 | 0.46% | 0 |
| Michele Bachmann | 971 | 0.33% | 0 |
| Jon Huntsman, Jr. | 413 | 0.14% | 0 |
| Gary Johnson | 392 | 0.13% | 0 |
| Unprojected delegates: | Unprojected delegates: | Unprojected delegates: | 3 |
| Total: | 294,112 | 100% | 40 |

## General election
### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| Huffington Post | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| CNN | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| New York Times | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| Washington Post | Safe R | November 6, 2012 |
| RealClearPolitics | Solid R | November 6, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Solid R | November 5, 2012 |
| FiveThirtyEight | Solid R | November 6, 2012 |

### Results

2012 United States presidential election in Mississippi :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes |
| | Republican | Mitt Romney | Paul Ryan | 710,746 | 55.29% | 6 |
| | Democratic | Barack Obama (incumbent) | Joe Biden (incumbent) | 562,949 | 43.79% | 0 |
| | Libertarian | Gary Johnson | Jim Gray | 6,676 | 0.52% | 0 |
| | Constitution | Virgil Goode | Jim Clymer | 2,609 | 0.20% | 0 |
| | Green | Jill Stein | Cheri Honkala | 1,588 | 0.12% | 0 |
| | Reform | Barbara Dale Washer | Cathy L. Toole | 1,016 | 0.08% | 0 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | 1,285,584 | 100.00% | 6 |

#### By county

| County | Mitt Romney Republican | Mitt Romney Republican | Barack Obama Democratic | Barack Obama Democratic | Various candidates Other parties | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Margin | Total |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total |
| Adams | 6,293 | 40.74% | 9,061 | 58.66% | 93 | 0.60% | -2,768 | -17.92% | 15,447 |
| Alcorn | 11,111 | 74.92% | 3,511 | 23.67% | 208 | 1.41% | 7,600 | 51.25% | 14,830 |
| Amite | 4,414 | 57.28% | 3,242 | 42.07% | 50 | 0.65% | 1,172 | 15.21% | 7,706 |
| Attala | 5,126 | 56.38% | 3,927 | 43.19% | 39 | 0.43% | 1,199 | 13.19% | 9,092 |
| Benton | 2,041 | 49.59% | 2,051 | 49.83% | 24 | 0.58% | -10 | -0.24% | 4,116 |
| Bolivar | 4,701 | 30.47% | 10,582 | 68.59% | 145 | 0.94% | -5,881 | -38.12% | 15,428 |
| Calhoun | 4,412 | 62.42% | 2,586 | 36.59% | 70 | 0.99% | 1,826 | 25.83% | 7,068 |
| Carroll | 3,960 | 66.09% | 2,007 | 33.49% | 25 | 0.42% | 1,953 | 32.60% | 5,992 |
| Chickasaw | 3,994 | 46.97% | 4,378 | 51.49% | 131 | 1.54% | -384 | -4.52% | 8,503 |
| Choctaw | 2,812 | 65.81% | 1,428 | 33.42% | 33 | 0.77% | 1,384 | 32.39% | 4,273 |
| Claiborne | 625 | 11.40% | 4,838 | 88.22% | 21 | 0.38% | -4,213 | -76.82% | 5,484 |
| Clarke | 5,049 | 61.18% | 3,111 | 37.70% | 93 | 1.12% | 1,938 | 23.48% | 8,253 |
| Clay | 4,291 | 38.76% | 6,712 | 60.62% | 69 | 0.62% | -2,421 | -21.86% | 11,072 |
| Coahoma | 2,712 | 25.71% | 7,792 | 73.86% | 45 | 0.43% | -5,080 | -48.15% | 10,549 |
| Copiah | 6,282 | 44.48% | 7,749 | 54.87% | 92 | 0.65% | -1,467 | -10.39% | 14,123 |
| Covington | 5,405 | 57.82% | 3,878 | 41.48% | 65 | 0.70% | 1,527 | 16.34% | 9,348 |
| DeSoto | 43,559 | 66.21% | 21,575 | 32.79% | 660 | 1.00% | 21,984 | 33.42% | 65,794 |
| Forrest | 16,574 | 54.82% | 13,272 | 43.89% | 390 | 1.29% | 3,302 | 10.93% | 30,236 |
| Franklin | 2,735 | 60.87% | 1,726 | 38.42% | 32 | 0.71% | 1,009 | 22.45% | 4,493 |
| George | 8,376 | 84.98% | 1,359 | 13.79% | 121 | 1.23% | 7,017 | 71.19% | 9,856 |
| Greene | 4,531 | 76.51% | 1,325 | 22.37% | 66 | 1.12% | 3,206 | 54.14% | 5,922 |
| Grenada | 5,986 | 52.81% | 5,288 | 46.65% | 61 | 0.54% | 698 | 6.16% | 11,335 |
| Hancock | 12,964 | 75.52% | 3,917 | 22.82% | 286 | 1.66% | 9,047 | 52.70% | 17,167 |
| Harrison | 39,470 | 62.33% | 23,119 | 36.51% | 739 | 1.16% | 16,351 | 25.82% | 63,328 |
| Hinds | 29,664 | 27.86% | 76,112 | 71.47% | 715 | 0.67% | -46,448 | -43.61% | 106,491 |
| Holmes | 1,435 | 15.45% | 7,812 | 84.11% | 41 | 0.44% | -6,377 | -68.66% | 9,288 |
| Humphreys | 1,293 | 24.81% | 3,903 | 74.88% | 16 | 0.31% | -2,610 | -50.07% | 5,212 |
| Issaquena | 302 | 38.37% | 479 | 60.86% | 6 | 0.77% | -177 | -22.49% | 787 |
| Itawamba | 7,393 | 79.34% | 1,706 | 18.31% | 219 | 2.35% | 5,687 | 61.03% | 9,318 |
| Jackson | 35,747 | 66.62% | 17,299 | 32.24% | 609 | 1.14% | 18,448 | 34.38% | 53,655 |
| Jasper | 4,193 | 44.89% | 5,097 | 54.57% | 50 | 0.54% | -904 | -9.68% | 9,340 |
| Jefferson | 468 | 10.56% | 3,951 | 89.13% | 14 | 0.31% | -3,483 | -78.57% | 4,433 |
| Jefferson Davis | 2,507 | 36.52% | 4,267 | 62.16% | 90 | 1.32% | -1,760 | -25.64% | 6,864 |
| Jones | 20,687 | 68.59% | 9,211 | 30.54% | 261 | 0.87% | 11,476 | 38.05% | 30,159 |
| Kemper | 1,789 | 35.41% | 3,239 | 64.11% | 24 | 0.48% | -1,450 | -28.70% | 5,052 |
| Lafayette | 11,075 | 56.78% | 8,091 | 41.48% | 339 | 1.74% | 2,984 | 15.30% | 19,505 |
| Lamar | 19,101 | 76.74% | 5,494 | 22.07% | 294 | 1.19% | 13,607 | 54.67% | 24,889 |
| Lauderdale | 18,700 | 57.05% | 13,814 | 42.15% | 263 | 0.80% | 4,886 | 14.90% | 32,777 |
| Lawrence | 4,192 | 62.59% | 2,468 | 36.85% | 38 | 0.56% | 1,724 | 25.74% | 6,698 |
| Leake | 4,863 | 54.14% | 4,079 | 45.41% | 41 | 0.45% | 784 | 8.73% | 8,983 |
| Lee | 22,415 | 63.49% | 12,563 | 35.58% | 328 | 0.93% | 9,852 | 27.91% | 35,306 |
| Leflore | 3,587 | 28.08% | 9,119 | 71.39% | 67 | 0.53% | -5,532 | -43.31% | 12,773 |
| Lincoln | 10,839 | 66.04% | 5,471 | 33.33% | 104 | 0.63% | 5,368 | 32.71% | 16,414 |
| Lowndes | 13,518 | 49.78% | 13,388 | 49.30% | 252 | 0.92% | 130 | 0.48% | 27,158 |
| Madison | 28,507 | 57.51% | 20,722 | 41.80% | 342 | 0.69% | 7,785 | 15.71% | 49,571 |
| Marion | 8,237 | 64.71% | 4,393 | 34.51% | 99 | 0.78% | 3,844 | 30.20% | 12,729 |
| Marshall | 6,473 | 39.86% | 9,650 | 59.42% | 117 | 0.72% | -3,177 | -19.56% | 16,240 |
| Monroe | 9,723 | 57.47% | 7,056 | 41.71% | 139 | 0.82% | 2,667 | 15.76% | 16,918 |
| Montgomery | 2,947 | 52.21% | 2,675 | 47.39% | 23 | 0.40% | 272 | 4.82% | 5,645 |
| Neshoba | 7,837 | 71.15% | 3,089 | 28.04% | 89 | 0.81% | 4,748 | 43.11% | 11,015 |
| Newton | 6,394 | 65.40% | 3,319 | 33.95% | 64 | 0.65% | 3,075 | 31.45% | 9,777 |
| Noxubee | 1,325 | 21.15% | 4,920 | 78.54% | 19 | 0.31% | -3,595 | -57.39% | 6,264 |
| Oktibbeha | 8,761 | 48.36% | 9,095 | 50.20% | 261 | 1.44% | -334 | -1.84% | 18,117 |
| Panola | 7,629 | 45.34% | 9,079 | 53.96% | 118 | 0.70% | -1,450 | -8.62% | 16,826 |
| Pearl River | 17,549 | 78.96% | 4,366 | 19.65% | 309 | 1.39% | 13,183 | 59.31% | 22,224 |
| Perry | 4,137 | 72.30% | 1,527 | 26.69% | 58 | 1.01% | 2,610 | 45.61% | 5,722 |
| Pike | 8,181 | 45.52% | 9,650 | 53.69% | 143 | 0.79% | -1,469 | -8.17% | 17,974 |
| Pontotoc | 9,448 | 76.13% | 2,804 | 22.59% | 159 | 1.28% | 6,644 | 53.54% | 12,411 |
| Prentiss | 7,075 | 70.52% | 2,817 | 28.08% | 141 | 1.40% | 4,258 | 42.44% | 10,033 |
| Quitman | 1,116 | 28.05% | 2,837 | 71.30% | 26 | 0.65% | -1,721 | -43.25% | 3,979 |
| Rankin | 48,444 | 75.52% | 14,988 | 23.37% | 713 | 1.11% | 33,456 | 52.15% | 64,145 |
| Scott | 6,089 | 54.36% | 5,031 | 44.91% | 82 | 0.73% | 1,058 | 9.45% | 11,202 |
| Sharkey | 737 | 29.11% | 1,782 | 70.38% | 13 | 0.51% | -1,045 | -41.27% | 2,532 |
| Simpson | 7,424 | 60.61% | 4,723 | 38.56% | 102 | 0.83% | 2,701 | 22.05% | 12,249 |
| Smith | 6,049 | 74.69% | 1,979 | 24.44% | 71 | 0.87% | 4,070 | 50.25% | 8,099 |
| Stone | 5,420 | 71.96% | 2,003 | 26.59% | 109 | 1.45% | 3,417 | 45.37% | 7,532 |
| Sunflower | 2,929 | 26.09% | 8,199 | 73.02% | 100 | 0.89% | -5,270 | -46.93% | 11,228 |
| Tallahatchie | 2,499 | 38.43% | 3,959 | 60.88% | 45 | 0.69% | -1,460 | -22.45% | 6,503 |
| Tate | 7,332 | 59.10% | 4,933 | 39.76% | 141 | 1.14% | 2,399 | 19.34% | 12,406 |
| Tippah | 6,717 | 73.30% | 2,317 | 25.28% | 130 | 1.42% | 4,400 | 48.02% | 9,164 |
| Tishomingo | 6,133 | 77.28% | 1,643 | 20.70% | 160 | 2.02% | 4,490 | 56.58% | 7,936 |
| Tunica | 883 | 20.15% | 3,475 | 79.30% | 24 | 0.55% | -2,592 | -59.15% | 4,382 |
| Union | 8,498 | 74.77% | 2,742 | 24.13% | 125 | 1.10% | 5,756 | 50.64% | 11,365 |
| Walthall | 4,051 | 53.65% | 3,422 | 45.32% | 78 | 1.03% | 629 | 8.33% | 7,551 |
| Warren | 10,457 | 48.89% | 10,786 | 50.42% | 148 | 0.69% | -329 | -1.53% | 21,391 |
| Washington | 5,651 | 28.66% | 13,981 | 70.92% | 83 | 0.42% | -8,330 | -42.26% | 19,715 |
| Wayne | 6,111 | 59.15% | 4,148 | 40.15% | 73 | 0.70% | 1,963 | 19.00% | 10,332 |
| Webster | 3,992 | 76.27% | 1,190 | 22.74% | 52 | 0.99% | 2,802 | 53.53% | 5,234 |
| Wilkinson | 1,415 | 29.16% | 3,412 | 70.31% | 26 | 0.53% | -1,997 | -41.15% | 4,853 |
| Winston | 5,168 | 52.58% | 4,607 | 46.87% | 54 | 0.55% | 561 | 5.71% | 9,829 |
| Yalobusha | 3,276 | 51.56% | 3,030 | 47.69% | 48 | 0.75% | 246 | 3.87% | 6,354 |
| Yazoo | 4,941 | 42.52% | 6,603 | 56.82% | 76 | 0.66% | -1,662 | -14.30% | 11,620 |
| Totals | 710,746 | 55.29% | 562,949 | 43.79% | 11,889 | 0.92% | 147,797 | 11.50% | 1,285,584 |

##### Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Benton (largest town: Hickory Flat)
* Warren (largest city: Vicksburg)

#### By congressional district

Romney won 3 of 4 congressional districts.
| District | Romney | Obama | Representative |
| 1st | 61.87% | 37% | Alan Nunnelee |
| 2nd | 33% | 66.4% | Bennie Thompson |
| 3rd | 60% | 39.1% | Gregg Harper |
| 4th | 67.6% | 31.24% | Steven Palazzo |