The 2012 Missouri lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Republican Peter Kinder faced Democratic nominee and former state auditor Susan Montee, Libertarian Matthew Copple, and the Constitution Party nominee, former state representative Cynthia Davis.
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 County results Kinder: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Montee: 40–50% 50–60% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Background
Incumbent lieutenant governor Peter Kinder won the 2008 Missouri lieutenant gubernatorial election with 49.9% of the vote against Democratic candidate Sam Page. Kinder had been considered the front-runner in the 2012 Republican Gubernatorial primary,[1] however after various controversies emerged, he decided to run for re-election. His decision was also influenced by St. Louis businessman and multimillionaire Dave Spence unexpectedly declaring to run for governor and pledging to put much of his own money into the race.[2]
Timeline
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared
- Michael E. Carter, former Municipal Judge, Corporate Attorney and Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor in 2008[4]
- Peter Kinder, incumbent lieutenant governor[5]
- Brad Lager, state senator[6]
- Charles W. Kullmann, retired college teacher[7]
Declined
- Ed Martin, attorney[8]
- Chris McKee, developer[9]
- Luann Ridgeway, state senator[10]
- Steven Tilley, Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives[11][12]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mike Carter | Peter Kinder | Charles Kullman | Brad Lager | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | August 4–5, 2012 | 590 | ± 4.0% | 6% | 42% | 5% | 30% | 18% |
| Mason-Dixon | July 23–25, 2012 | 400 | ± 5.0% | 6% | 47% | 1% | 21% | 25% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Peter Kinder (incumbent) | 255,064 | 44.2 | |
| Republican | Brad Lager | 239,735 | 41.5 | |
| Republican | Michael Carter | 47,515 | 8.2 | |
| Republican | Charles Kullmann | 34,940 | 6.1 | |
| Total votes | 577,254 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Judy Baker, former state representative and former regional director of the United States Department of Health and Human Services[14]
- Sara Lampe, state representative[15]
- Susan Montee, former State Auditor of Missouri and former Chairwoman of the Missouri Democratic Party[16]
- Becky Plattner, Missouri Conservation Commission chairwoman, former Presiding Commissioner of Saline County and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2008[17]
Declined
- Mike Sanders, County Executive of Jackson County[18]
- Wes Shoemyer, former state senator[16]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Judy Baker | Bill Haas | Susan Montee | Sarah Lampe | Becky Plattner | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason-Dixon | July 23–25, 2012 | 400 | ± 5.0% | 5% | 9% | 28% | 13% | 4% | 41% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Susan Montee | 131,319 | 44.9 | |
| Democratic | Judy Baker | 46,236 | 15.8 | |
| Democratic | Bill Haas | 35,044 | 12.0 | |
| Democratic | Sarah Lampe | 25,955 | 8.9 | |
| Democratic | Dennis Weisenburger | 16,149 | 5.5 | |
| Democratic | Jackie Townes McGee | 15,493 | 5.3 | |
| Democratic | Becky Lee Plattner | 11,080 | 3.8 | |
| Democratic | Fred Kratky | 10,976 | 3.8 | |
| Total votes | 292,252 | 100.0 | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidate
- Matthew Copple[19]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libertarian | Matthew Copple | 2,432 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 2,432 | 100.0 | ||
Constitution primary
Candidate
- Cynthia Davis, former state representative[20]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constitution | Cynthia Davis | 760 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 760 | 100.0 | ||
General election
Kinder defeated all other candidates to become the first Missouri Lieutenant Governor to be elected to a third term since Frank Gaines Harris, who served from January 1933 to December 1944.[21] Kinder received 49.4 percent of the vote while Susan Montee received 45.4 percent. Libertarian Matthew Copple and Constitution Party candidate Cynthia L. Davis garnered 2.8 and 2.4 percent, respectively.[22]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Peter Kinder (R) | Susan Montee (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | November 2–3, 2012 | 835 | ± 3.4% | 44% | 43% | — | 13% |
| Mason-Dixon | October 23–25, 2012 | 625 | ± 4% | 46% | 41% | — | 13% |
| Public Policy Polling | October 19–21, 2012 | 582 | ± 4.1% | 43% | 43% | — | 13% |
| Public Policy Polling | August 20, 2012 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 45% | 38% | — | 17% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Peter Kinder (incumbent) | 1,316,653 | 49.4 | |
| Democratic | Susan Montee | 1,211,353 | 45.4 | |
| Libertarian | Matthew Copple | 75,169 | 2.8 | |
| Constitution | Cynthia Davis | 63,594 | 2.3 | |
| Total votes | 2,678,313 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
See also
- 2012 United States gubernatorial elections
- 2012 United States Senate election in Missouri
- 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Missouri
- 2012 Missouri gubernatorial election
- 2012 Missouri Attorney General election
- 2012 Missouri State Treasurer election
- 2012 Missouri Secretary of State election
References
External links
- Elections from the Missouri Secretary of State
- Missouri Governor candidates at Project Vote Smart
- Official campaign websites