2012 West Virginia General Elections story

A head to head comparison of the West Virginia 2012 General Election gives us an idea of the break down of the voters.    

Mitt Romney received 412,406 (64%) votes, beating Barack Obama who gained 234,925 (42%) by 177,481 votes in West Virginia.

Mitt Romney won all of the 55 counties whereas Barack Obama won 0 counties in the State of West Virginia.

Presidential General Elections

During the 2012 General elections, over 122M total number of votes were cast. Barack Obama got 62,614,654 (62.6 Million) over Mitt Romney's 59,141,654 (59.1 Million). He won the popular vote by 3,472,979 (3.4 Million). Even though he lost to Mitt Romney in the State of West Virginia, his 234,925 gained votes represent 0.4% of his popular vote victory. The remaining 49 states contributed to the remaining 99.6% popular votes victory.

Top 15 Counties in Primary Elections vs General Elections

All Candidates (General Elections)

These 15 counties play an important role in these Primary elections. If a candidate, can get a sizable majority in the larger counties (Kanawha, Berkeley, Wood, Cabell, Monongalia), it becomes very difficult to win majorities in the smaller counties without voter outreach and increased voter participation in them.

Top 15 Counties Comparison in Primary Elections vs General Elections

General Elections
Barack Obama

General Elections
Mitt Romney

Kanawha, Berkeley, Wood, Cabell and Monongalia, five of the larger counties, voted in favor of Mitt Romney giving him a 35k vote advantage. However, Mitt Romney's steady win in all of the counties was enough to maintain that difference, making him gain an upper hand in the State of West Virginia.


Related References: 2016 West Virginia Primary Election Story, 2016 West Virginia General Election Story, 2020 West Virginia Primary Election Story, 2020 West Virginia General Election Story