cement ▁took ▁place ▁on ▁December ▁ 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Stewart ▁released ▁a ▁campaign ▁video ▁express ing ▁his ▁view ▁that ▁" if ▁we ▁don ’ t ▁make ▁some ▁difficult ▁dec isions ▁now , ▁if ▁we ▁don ’ t ▁show ▁the ▁courage ▁to ▁do ▁what ▁we ▁have ▁to ▁do ▁to ▁save ▁our ▁country , ▁we ▁won ’ t ▁make ▁it ▁for ▁another ▁ 1 0 ▁years ." ▁He ▁also ▁stated ▁his ▁belief ▁that ▁" at ▁critical ▁times ▁in ▁our ▁history ... ▁we ▁literally ▁had ▁m ira cles ▁where ▁God ▁interven ed ▁to ▁save ▁us ." ▁ ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁at ▁a ▁controvers ial ▁nomin ating ▁convention , ▁Stewart ▁secured ▁the ▁Republican ▁nom ination . ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁convention , ▁an ▁anonymous ▁anti - Ste wart ▁ma iler ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁convention ▁deleg ates . ▁In ▁his ▁speech ▁to ▁deleg ates , ▁another ▁candidate , ▁M ilt ▁H anks ▁alleg ed ▁that ▁the ▁other ▁candidates ▁had ▁made ▁an ▁anti - Ste wart ▁p act . ▁Stewart ' s ▁oppon ents ▁considered ▁the ▁ma iler ▁and ▁the ▁alleg ations ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁set - up ▁to ▁el ic it ▁sympathy ▁for ▁Stewart ' s ▁candid acy ; ▁they ▁later ▁file d ▁a ▁compla int ▁with ▁the ▁Federal ▁E lections ▁Commission ▁over ▁the ▁incident . ▁ ▁Stewart ▁won ▁the ▁general ▁election ▁with ▁ 6 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote , ▁defe ating ▁Jay ▁Se eg