A head to head comparison of the Tennessee 2012 General Election gives us an idea of the break down of the voters.
Mitt Romney received 1,453,100 (60%) votes, beating Barack Obama who gained 953,043 (40%) by 500,057 votes in Tennessee.
Mitt Romney won 91 counties whereas Barack Obama won 4 counties in the total of the 95 counties in the State of Tennessee.
2012 General Election Barack Obama Popular Vote Count Contributed by Tennessee (TN)
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 Tennessee, his 953,043 gained votes represents 1.5% of his popular vote victory. The remaining 49 states contributed to the remaining 98.5% 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 (Shelby, Davidson, Knox, Hamilton), 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
Shelby and Davidson, two of the larger counties, voted in favor of Barack Obama giving him a 141k vote advantage. Hamilton and Knox, some other larger counties, voted in favor of Mitt Romney giving him a 69k voter advantage in those counties. However, Romney's steady win in the less dense counties was enough to overcome that deficit, making him gain an upper hand in the State of Tennessee.
Related References: 2016 Tennessee Primary Election Story, 2016 Tennessee General Election Story, 2020 Tennessee Primary Election Story, 2020 Tennessee General Election Story