▁Elect oral ▁College ▁via ▁a ▁popular ▁vote ▁p itting ▁inc umb ent ▁Democratic ▁President ▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama ▁and ▁his ▁running ▁mate , ▁Vice ▁President ▁Joe ▁B iden , ▁against ▁Republican ▁ch allen ger ▁and ▁former ▁Massachusetts ▁Governor ▁Mitt ▁Rom ney ▁and ▁his ▁running ▁mate , ▁Congress man ▁Paul ▁Ryan . ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁election , ▁all ▁ 1 7 ▁news ▁organizations ▁considered ▁this ▁a ▁state ▁Rom ney ▁would ▁win , ▁or ▁otherwise ▁considered ▁as ▁a ▁safe ▁red ▁state . ▁Ut ah ▁is ▁among ▁the ▁most ▁heavily ▁Republican ▁states , ▁voting ▁for ▁the ▁Republican ▁ticket ▁in ▁every ▁president ial ▁election ▁since ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁and ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁only ▁state ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁majority ▁M orm on ▁population , ▁benef iting ▁Rom ney , ▁the ▁first ▁M orm on ▁to ▁head ▁a ▁major ▁party ▁president ial ▁ticket . ▁He ▁carried ▁every ▁county ▁in ▁the ▁state , ▁all ▁by ▁large ▁marg ins ▁except ▁eastern , ▁less ▁M orm on ▁Sum mit ▁and ▁Grand ▁Count ies . ▁However , ▁Ob ama ▁won ▁re e lection ▁nation wide . ▁ ▁With ▁ 7 2 . 6 2 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁popular ▁vote , ▁Ut ah ▁would ▁prove ▁to ▁be ▁Rom ney ' s ▁strong est ▁state ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁election , ▁and ▁Rom ney ▁would ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁be ▁elected ▁as ▁a ▁United ▁States ▁Senator ▁from ▁Ut ah ▁six ▁years ▁later ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁ ▁Democratic ▁primary ▁Due ▁to ▁Ob ama ▁running ▁for ▁re e