2012 United States Senate election in Tennessee

Main article: 2012 United States Senate elections
Not to be confused with 2012 Tennessee Senate election.

2012 United States Senate election in Tennessee
November 6, 2012
Turnout61.86% [1] 11.89 pp
 
Nominee Bob Corker Mark Clayton
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 1,506,443 705,882
Percentage 64.89% 30.41%
Corker:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Clayton:      50–60%      60–70%
U.S. senator before election

Bob Corker
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Bob Corker
Republican

The 2012 United States Senate election in Tennessee took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the general election including the 2012 U.S. presidential election, elections to the House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Bob Corker won a second term in a landslide, carrying all but two counties in the state.

Corker narrowly flipped reliably Democratic Davidson County, home to Nashville, which had not voted Republican on the presidential level since 1988. He faced Democratic nominee Mark E. Clayton[2] as well as several third-party candidates and several independents in this election.

Corker easily won the Republican primary with 85% of the vote, and anti-LGBT activist and conspiracy theorist Clayton won the Democratic nomination with 30% of the vote, despite raising no money and having a website that was four years out of date.[3][4][5]

The next day Tennessee's Democratic Party disavowed Clayton over his active role in the Public Advocate of the United States, which they described as a "known hate group". They blamed his victory among candidates for whom the TNDP provided little forums to become known on the fact that his name appeared first on the ballot, and said they would do nothing to help his campaign, urging Democrats to vote for "the write-in candidate of their choice" in November.[6] One of the Democratic candidates, Larry Crim, filed a petition seeking to offer the voters a new primary in which to select a Democratic nominee among the remaining candidates the party had affirmed as bona fide and as a preliminary motion sought a temporary restraining order against certification of the results, but after a judge denied the temporary order Crim withdrew his petition.[7]

Background

The incumbent in the race, former Chattanooga mayor Bob Corker, was elected in 2006 with 50.7% of the vote in a win against U.S. representative Harold Ford, Jr.

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

  • Fred R. Anderson
  • Mark Twain Clemens, unemployed
  • Bob Corker, incumbent U.S. Senator
  • James Durkan, businessman
  • Brenda Lenard, businesswoman & doctoral student
  • Zach Poskevich, technology consultant

Publicly Speculated, but Declined

Polling

Hypothetical polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Bob
Corker 		More conservative
challenger 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[8] February 9–13, 2011 400 ±4.9% 38% 43% — 19%
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Bob
Corker 		Marsha
Blackburn 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[8] February 9–13, 2011 400 ±4.9% 50% 30% — 20%
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Bob
Corker 		Hank
Williams, Jr. 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[8] February 9–13, 2011 400 ±4.9% 66% 13% — 21%

Results

Tennessee Republican primary[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Corker (Incumbent) 389,483 85.25%
Republican Zach Poskevich 28,299 6.19%
Republican Fred Anderson 15,942 3.49%
Republican Mark Twain Clemens 11,788 2.58%
Republican Brenda Lenard 11,378 2.49%
Total votes 456,890 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Results

Democratic primary results[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mark E. Clayton 48,126 29.99%
Democratic Gary Gene Davis 24,789 15.45%
Democratic Park Overall 24,263 15.12%
Democratic Larry Crim 17,383 10.83%
Democratic Benjamin Roberts 16,369 10.20%
Democratic David Hancock 16,167 10.08
Democratic Thomas Owens 13,366 8.33
Total votes 160,463 100.00

General election

Candidates

  • Bob Corker (Republican), incumbent U.S. Senator
  • Mark E. Clayton (Democratic)[10]
  • Shaun Crowell (Libertarian)
  • Martin Pleasant (Green)[11][12]
  • Kermit Steck (Constitution)[12][13]
  • David Gatchell (independent)
  • James Higdon (independent)
  • Michel Joseph Long (independent)
  • Troy Stephen Scoggin (independent)
  • Jacob Maurer (Write-In)[14]

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[15] Solid R November 1, 2012
Sabato's Crystal Ball[16] Safe R November 5, 2012
Rothenberg Political Report[17] Safe R November 2, 2012
Real Clear Politics[18] Safe R November 5, 2012

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Bob
Corker (R) 		Mark
Clayton (D) 		Other Undecided
Issues and Answers Network Inc.[19] October 16–21, 2011 609 ±4% 59% 21% 4% 15%
Hypothetical polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Bob
Corker (R) 		Phil
Bredesen (D) 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[20] February 9–13, 2011 500 ±4.4% 41% 46% — 12%
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Bob
Corker (R) 		Jim
Cooper (D) 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[20] February 9–13, 2011 500 ±4.4% 50% 32% — 22%
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Bob
Corker (R) 		Harold
Ford, Jr. (D) 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[20] February 9–13, 2011 500 ±4.4% 55% 32% — 14%
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Bob
Corker (R) 		Bart
Gordon (D) 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[20] February 9–13, 2011 500 ±4.4% 52% 29% — 19%
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Bob
Corker (R) 		Al
Gore (D) 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[20] February 9–13, 2011 500 ±4.4% 53% 38% — 9%
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin of
error 		Bob
Corker (R) 		Tim
McGraw (D) 		Other Undecided
Public Policy Polling[20] February 9–13, 2011 500 ±4.4% 50% 28% — 22%

Results

Despite the TN Democratic Party encouraging write-in voting, the general election only saw 0.05% cast write-in votes. Clayton significantly underperformed compared to Barack Obama, running for re-election to the presidency on the same day. Clayton got about 9% and 254,827 votes fewer than Obama.

United States Senate election in Tennessee, 2012[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bob Corker (incumbent) 1,506,443 64.89% +14.18%
Democratic Mark Clayton 705,882 30.41% −17.59%
Green Martin Pleasant 38,472 1.66% +1.52%
Independent Shaun Crowell 20,936 0.90% N/A
Constitution Kermit Steck 18,620 0.80% N/A
Independent James Higdon 8,085 0.35% N/A
Independent Michael Joseph Long 8,080 0.35% N/A
Independent Troy Stephen Scoggin 7,148 0.31% N/A
Independent David Gatchell 6,523 0.28% N/A
n/a Write-ins 1,288 0.05% N/A
Total votes 2,321,477 100.00% N/A
Republican hold

By county

County[22] Bob Corker
Republican 		Mark Clayton
Democratic 		Others
Independent 		Margin Total
votes
% # % # % #
Anderson 70.11% 19,604 23.95% 6,698 5.94% 1,660 12,906 27,962
Bedford 73.23% 9,671 23.09% 3,050 3.68% 486 6,621 13,207
Benton 62.67% 3,746 32.52% 1,944 4.80% 287 1,802 5,977
Bledsoe 73.59% 3,069 23.05% 961 3.36% 140 2,108 4,170
Blount 76.80% 35,846 17.77% 8,295 5.43% 2,536 27,551 46,677
Bradley 81.56% 28,186 15.33% 5,299 3.10% 1,072 22,887 34,557
Campbell 74.06% 8,336 21.42% 2,411 4.51% 508 5,925 11,255
Cannon 70.26% 3,199 23.96% 1,091 5.78% 263 2,108 4,553
Carroll 68.21% 6,910 27.60% 2,796 4.19% 424 4,114 10,130
Carter 79.17% 14,874 16.54% 3,107 4.30% 807 11,767 18,788
Cheatham 72.81% 10,544 21.63% 3,132 5.56% 805 7,412 14,481
Chester 75.43% 4,572 20.89% 1,266 3.68% 223 3,306 6,061
Claiborne 76.45% 7,219 19.15% 1,808 4.41% 416 5,411 9,443
Clay 67.23% 1,676 28.64% 714 4.13% 103 962 2,493
Cocke 79.92% 8,396 16.24% 1,706 3.84% 403 6,690 10,505
Coffee 71.38% 13,227 24.22% 4,488 4.40% 815 8,739 18,530
Crockett 73.94% 3,623 23.43% 1,148 2.63% 129 2,475 4,900
Cumberland 75.94% 17,900 19.02% 4,483 5.04% 1,188 13,417 23,571
Davidson 47.80% 111,176 45.42% 105,631 6.78% 15,778 5,545 232,585
Decatur 67.83% 2,735 28.20% 1,137 3.97% 160 1,598 4,032
DeKalb 67.92% 3,836 26.96% 1,523 5.12% 289 2,313 5,648
Dickson 68.83% 11,471 25.58% 4,264 5.58% 931 7,207 16,666
Dyer 74.41% 9,570 22.70% 2,919 2.90% 373 6,651 12,862
Fayette 71.94% 12,828 24.72% 4,407 3.34% 596 8,421 17,831
Fentress 79.05% 4,996 17.71% 1,119 3.24% 205 3,877 6,320
Franklin 68.92% 10,312 27.35% 4,092 3.73% 558 6,220 14,962
Gibson 69.03% 12,473 27.65% 4,996 3.32% 600 7,477 18,069
Giles 66.00% 6,494 29.71% 2,923 4.29% 422 3,571 9,839
Grainger 78.38% 5,318 17.50% 1,187 4.13% 280 4,131 6,785
Greene 77.08% 17,614 18.31% 4,185 4.61% 1,053 13,429 22,852
Grundy 63.62% 2,453 32.78% 1,264 3.60% 139 1,189 3,856
Hamblen 77.42% 14,547 19.22% 3,612 3.35% 630 10,935 18,789
Hamilton 66.52% 91,497 30.22% 41,570 3.25% 4,472 49,927 137,539
Hancock 79.91% 1,456 15.97% 291 4.12% 75 1,165 1,822
Hardeman 53.49% 4,785 41.50% 3,712 5.01% 448 1,073 8,945
Hardin 75.36% 7,534 21.47% 2,146 3.17% 317 5,388 9,997
Hawkins 75.23% 14,344 21.20% 4,042 3.58% 682 10,302 19,068
Haywood 45.60% 3,180 51.87% 3,617 2.52% 176 -437 6,973
Henderson 75.52% 7,103 21.06% 1,981 3.41% 321 5,122 9,405
Henry 67.86% 7,934 27.98% 3,271 4.17% 487 4,663 11,692
Hickman 65.86% 4,675 27.68% 1,965 6.45% 458 2,710 7,098
Houston 55.23% 1,558 39.88% 1,125 4.89% 138 433 2,821
Humphreys 58.31% 3,786 35.42% 2,300 6.27% 407 1,486 6,493
Jackson 62.97% 2,282 31.10% 1,127 5.93% 215 1,155 3,624
Jefferson 77.48% 12,811 18.09% 2,991 4.43% 733 9,820 16,535
Johnson 77.73% 4,456 17.60% 1,009 4.67% 268 3,447 5,733
Knox 69.89% 114,940 23.38% 38,459 6.73% 11,071 76,481 164,470
Lake 55.54% 1,062 39.85% 762 4.60% 88 300 1,912
Lauderdale 59.44% 4,671 36.51% 2,869 4.06% 319 1,802 7,859
Lawrence 73.45% 9,867 23.23% 3,120 3.32% 446 6,747 13,433
Lewis 68.41% 3,036 25.33% 1,124 6.26% 278 1,912 4,438
Lincoln 73.30% 9,155 22.55% 2,816 4.15% 518 6,339 12,489
Loudon 80.08% 17,015 15.41% 3,274 4.51% 959 13,741 21,248
Macon 78.66% 4,854 17.02% 1,050 4.33% 267 3,804 6,171
Madison 59.12% 22,629 37.72% 14,439 3.16% 1,208 8,190 38,276
Marion 66.59% 6,608 30.18% 2,995 3.22% 320 3,613 9,923
Marshall 66.67% 6,696 28.44% 2,856 4.89% 491 3,840 10,043
Maury 62.69% 19,992 32.12% 10,243 5.19% 1,654 9,749 31,889
McMinn 78.09% 13,422 18.26% 3,139 3.65% 627 10,283 17,188
McNairy 71.67% 6,812 25.35% 2,409 2.98% 283 4,403 9,504
Meigs 75.55% 2,799 21.57% 799 2.89% 107 2,000 3,705
Monroe 74.59% 11,845 20.06% 3,186 5.35% 850 8,659 15,881
Montgomery 60.12% 30,923 34.79% 17,893 5.09% 2,618 13,030 51,434
Moore 76.06% 2,036 20.32% 544 3.62% 97 1,492 2,677
Morgan 75.35% 4,626 20.41% 1,253 4.23% 260 3,373 6,139
Obion 66.96% 7,710 26.92% 3,100 6.11% 704 4,610 11,514
Overton 67.78% 4,372 27.86% 1,797 4.36% 281 2,575 6,450
Perry 66.51% 1,529 28.49% 655 5.00% 115 874 2,299
Pickett 75.39% 1,740 21.32% 492 3.29% 76 1,248 2,308
Polk 70.64% 4,143 25.80% 1,513 3.56% 209 2,630 5,865
Putnam 71.12% 16,703 23.02% 5,406 5.86% 1,377 11,297 23,486
Rhea 79.78% 7,989 17.03% 1,705 3.19% 320 6,284 10,014
Roane 74.66% 15,075 20.89% 4,218 4.45% 899 10,857 20,192
Robertson 72.58% 17,722 22.87% 5,584 4.55% 1,110 12,138 24,416
Rutherford 65.50% 61,962 29.32% 27,731 5.18% 4,904 34,231 94,597
Scott 80.24% 4,768 16.39% 974 3.37% 200 3,794 5,942
Sequatchie 76.19% 3,652 20.09% 963 3.71% 178 2,689 4,793
Sevier 79.80% 26,266 16.09% 5,296 4.11% 1,353 20,970 32,915
Shelby 43.90% 152,612 52.14% 181,253 3.96% 13,776 -28,641 347,641
Smith 68.90% 4,403 26.87% 1,717 4.23% 270 2,686 6,390
Stewart 62.72% 3,011 32.41% 1,556 4.87% 234 1,455 4,801
Sullivan 75.69% 43,329 20.48% 11,725 3.83% 2,195 31,604 57,249
Sumner 75.22% 46,321 20.49% 12,616 4.30% 2,646 33,705 61,583
Tipton 73.15% 16,480 23.36% 5,264 3.49% 786 11,216 22,530
Trousdale 63.78% 1,615 31.52% 798 4.70% 119 817 2,532
Unicoi 75.92% 4,939 19.17% 1,247 4.92% 320 3,692 6,506
Union 77.30% 4,093 18.68% 989 4.02% 213 3,104 5,295
Van Buren 65.53% 1,321 30.95% 624 3.52% 71 697 2,016
Warren 67.62% 7,905 27.46% 3,210 4.92% 575 4,695 11,690
Washington 72.98% 32,637 22.07% 9,869 4.95% 2,215 22,768 44,721
Wayne 78.86% 3,891 17.67% 872 3.47% 171 3,019 4,934
Weakley 67.60% 8,011 27.64% 3,276 4.76% 564 4,735 11,851
White 70.04% 6,039 24.51% 2,113 5.45% 470 3,926 8,622
Williamson 77.22% 72,402 17.91% 16,789 4.87% 4,570 55,613 93,761
Wilson 74.31% 36,993 21.08% 10,497 4.61% 2,294 26,496 49,784
Total 64.89% 1,506,443 30.41% 705,882 4.70% 109,152 800,561 2,321,477

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

Corker carried eight of nine congressional districts, including one that elected a Democrat.[23][24]

District Corker Clayton Representative
1st 76.58% 19.24%
Phil Roe
2nd 72.75% 21.24% John J. Duncan, Jr.
3rd 70.60% 25.60% Chuck Fleischmann
4th 69.30% 26.31% Scott DesJarlais
5th 50.21% 43.32% Jim Cooper
6th 73.32% 22.04% Diane Black
7th 69.62% 25.75% Marsha Blackburn
8th 70.26% 26.40% Stephen Fincher
9th 28.56% 67.00% Steve Cohen

See also

References

  1. ^ "Tennessee Voter Turnout in 2012". Tennessee Secretary of State. November 6, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  2. ^ "2012's worst candidate? With Mark Clayton, Tennessee Democrats hit bottom." by David A. Fahrenthold, Washington Post, October 22, 2012, Retrieved 2012-10-23, ""If there are people who don't believe that there's a campaign here, then guess what? They can come to Tennessee, if they're a voter, and they can see Mark E. Clayton, and next to Mark E. Clayton there's going to be a 'D,' " he said on the phone. "Like it or not, Mark Clayton is the Democratic nominee in Tennessee.""
  3. ^ Murphy, Tim (August 3, 2012). "Dems Nominate Anti-Gay Conspiracy Theorist for Senate". Mother Jones. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  4. ^ Fahrenthold, David A. (May 19, 2023). "2012's worst candidate? With Mark Clayton, Tennessee Democrats hit bottom". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  5. ^ Kenny's Sideshow (August 5, 2012). Democractic Primary Winner for Senate in Tennessee Mark Clayton Responds to Attacks. Retrieved June 11, 2024 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ Cass, Michael (August 3, 2012). "Tennessee Democratic Party disavows Senate nominee". The Tennessean. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  7. ^ Sisk, Chas (August 17, 2012). "Mark Clayton victory in Democratic primary upheld by Nashville judge". The Tennessean. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  8. ^ a b c Public Policy Polling
  9. ^ a b "Tennessee Secretary of State Unofficial Election Results". Secretary of State of Tennessee. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  10. ^ "clayton forus' – Products I Tried To Satisfy Myself". Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  11. ^ "Candidates GPTN".
  12. ^ a b Winger, Richard (February 3, 2012). "Tennessee Ballot Access Law for New and Minor Parties Struck Down". Ballot Access News. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  13. ^ "Current Candidates « The Constitution Party of Tennessee". Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  14. ^ "Jacob Maurer - US Senate Candidate - Home". Archived from the original on June 6, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  15. ^ "2012 Senate Race Ratings for November 1, 2012". The Cook Political Report. Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  16. ^ "2012 Senate". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  17. ^ "2012 Senate Ratings". Senate Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  18. ^ "2012 Elections Map - Battle for the Senate 2012". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  19. ^ Issues and Answers Network Inc.
  20. ^ a b c d e f Public Policy Polling
  21. ^ State of Tennessee. November 6, 2012. General Election
  22. ^ "United States Senate" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. November 6, 2012.
  23. ^ "Detailed CD Results".
  24. ^ Nir, David (November 19, 2020). "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012". Daily Kos.

Official campaign websites

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