2012 United States presidential election

The **2012 United States presidential election** was the 57th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. U.S. Representative Cori Bush and her running mate Susan Rice defeated incumbent governor **Mike Huckabee**. This is the first election where one of the two major party nominees was a women.

The series of presidential primary elections and caucuses took place between February and June 2012, staggered among the 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. This nominating process was also an indirect election, where voters cast ballots for a slate of delegates to a political party's nominating convention, who in turn elected their party's presidential nominee. The Democratic party's primaries were marked by a sharp contest between Representative Cori Bush and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Bush secured the nomination at the Democratic party's convention after selecting Susan Rice as her running mate. Mike Huckabee won the Republican party's nomination with no major or minor competition.

On election night, Bush and Rice emerged victorious against Huckabee. Bush and Rice were sworn in on January 20, 2013.

## Background

The 2012 United States presidential election was the 57th quadrennial presidential election. Representative, Cori Bush, and **Mike Huckabee,** were the primary contenders for the 2012 election after President Obama announced he wouldn't run for re-election.

The 2012 presidential election ended with Cori Bush being elected president after Mike Huckabee has a scandal against him and his Vice Presidential nominee's wife having an affair. This ultimately backfired Huckabee and his campaign in 2012 and ultimately costed him the presidency. Close sources from the Huckabee campaign say had Huckabee and his Vice Presidential Nominee's wife not had an affair that Huckabee would likely been the President not Bush.

## Democratic Party primaries

*See also: 2012 United States presidential primaries*

(2010–2013)
(2009–2013)

### Other major candidates

* Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator from New York since 2009; (**campaign**)

### Primaries

In January 2012, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand became the first to announce her candidacy for the presidency of the United States. In the following months, Bush, announced her candidacy for president.

The first primary debate was held on May 18, 2012; polls afterwards had Bush winning by a narrow margin.

The first primary held was the Iowa caucus. Bush won by less than 0.5% in the state. Gillibrand came in second place in Iowa. The following primary was New Hampshire, held on February 18, 2012, which Bush won with 55% percent of the vote.

While campaigning for the South Carolina primary, Kirsten Gillibrand withdrew her candidacy, later endorsing Cori Bush. On the day of the primary, Bush won South Carolina by a landslide. It was clear that after this primary Cori Bush would be the 2012 Democratic nominee for President.

### Convention

*See also: 2012 National Convention*

The 2012 National Convention was held from September 3 - 6, 2016, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

On September 4, 2020, Cori Bush and Susan Rice were named the party nominees.

## Republican Party primaries

(1996–2007)
(2003–2011)

It is the tradition in both parties that potential candidates stand down in deference to the incumbent president. Mike Huckabee won his party's nomination with no significant opposition.

## General election

### Huckabee Scandal

*See also: Huckabee scandal in the 2012 United States elections*

During the general election, the Huckabee campaigned secretly kept the Huckabee and Vice Presidential Nominee's wife affair a secret. In-fact it was said that almost everyone that was tasked with leading the Huckabee campaign knew of the scandal except for the vice presidential nominee himself. It was because of this that Huckabee's campaign chair (who was terrible with computers) accidently sent an email to CNN and FOX news about this scandal including several evidence that was meant for Huckabee that completely dropped the ball in the general election.

On November 1, CNN and Fox News discovered from an email coming from Huckabee's campaign chair that Huckabee had an affair with his wife; costing Huckabee the presidency.

### Results

Considering Bush's relative successes as a United States Representative, including a bipartisan economic bill that resulted in 2008 economic collapse to be quickly recovered and the bipartisan caucus she formed as representative, it was considered that the Bush-Rice ticket faced an uphill battle against Huckabee as the polls were not in Bush's favor.

Election Day was held on November 6, 2016. The Bush-Rice ticket defeated incumbent governor Mike Huckabee just days after the Huckabee scandal was announced. They were sworn-in on January 20, 2013.