# 2012 United States presidential election in Nebraska

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The 2012 United States presidential election in Nebraska 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. Voters chose five 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.
Mitt Romney carried Nebraska, taking 59.80% of the vote to Barack Obama's 38.03%, a margin of 21.77%. Nebraska is one of two states (along with Maine) 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 from 2008, when the state as a whole had voted for Republican John McCain but Democrat Barack Obama still won an electoral vote from the state. Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, home to Omaha, 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 since 1964. Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, Indiana, and North 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 active Native American population. He also narrowly lost three of four counties he won in 2008: Douglas, Lancaster, and Saline, home to the cities of Omaha, Lincoln, and Crete, respectively. He became the first Democrat since Grover Cleveland in 1892 to win without carrying Saline County.
As of the 2024 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.

## Primary elections
### Democratic primary

The Democratic primary was not held as Barack Obama ran unopposed and had secured enough delegates for nomination.

### Republican primary

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| ← 2008 | 2012 | 2016 → |
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The Republican primary was on May 15, 2012. 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: | Unpledged delegates: | Unpledged delegates: | 3 |
| Total: | 185,402 | 100.0% | 35 |
| Key: | Withdrew prior to contest |

#### Convention

The State Convention was held in Grand Island on July 14, 2012.
Convention Results :
| 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 | 9 | 9 | 23 | 3 | 35 |

## 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 Nebraska :
| Party | 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 | Totals | Totals | Totals | 794,379 | 100.00% | 5 |

#### 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 | 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 |

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

* Douglas (largest city: Omaha)
* Lancaster (largest city: Lincoln)
* Saline (largest city: Crete)

#### By congressional district

Romney won all three of Nebraska's congressional districts.
| District | Romney | Obama | Representative |
| 1st | 57% | 41% | Jeff Fortenberry |
| 2nd | 53% | 46% | Lee Terry |
| 3rd | 70% | 28% | Adrian Smith |