United States presidential election, 2012 timeline

The following is a timeline of major events leading up to the United States presidential election of 2012

United States presidential election, 2012

The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United...

. The election is the 57th quadrennial United States presidential election

United States presidential election

Elections for President and Vice President of the United States are indirect elections in which voters cast ballots for a slate of electors of the U.S. Electoral College, who in turn directly elect the President and Vice President...

and is slated to be held on November 6, 2012.

October 2009

October 12 – Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...

and 2008 presidential challenger Hillary Clinton declares she would not challenge President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

in the 2012 election campaign.

January 2010

January 21 – In a 5–4 decision, the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...

rules in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, , was a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court holding that the First Amendment prohibits government from censoring political broadcasts in candidate elections when those broadcasts are funded by corporations or unions...

that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited.

July 2010

July 18 – Fred Karger
Fred Karger
Fred S. Karger is an American political consultant, gay rights activist and watchdog, former actor, and candidate for the Republican nomination for the 2012 US Presidential election...

, political consultant and gay rights activist from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, announces the formation of a formal exploratory committee
Exploratory Committee
In the election politics of the United States, an exploratory committee is an organization established to help determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office. They are most often cited in reference to United States Presidential hopefuls, prior to the primaries.Exploratory...

in preparation for a potential run for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2012
The 2012 Republican presidential primaries are the selection processes in which voters of the Republican Party will choose their nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 presidential election. The primary contest began with a fairly wide field, and is the first presidential primary...

.

December 2010

The 2010 Census changes the Electoral College vote apportionment for the election for 18 states.
December 23 – Jimmy McMillan
Jimmy McMillan
James "Jimmy" McMillan III is an American political activist, perennial candidate, Vietnam War veteran, and karate expert, as well as a former postal worker and private investigator from Brooklyn, New York. He is best known as the founder of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party, a New York-based...

, perennial candidate
Perennial candidate
A perennial candidate is one who frequently runs for public office with a record of success that is infrequent, if existent at all. Perennial candidates are often either members of minority political parties or have political opinions that are not mainstream. They may run without any serious hope...

from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

changes party affiliation from Democratic to Republican and officially announces his candidacy for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.

January 2011

January 6 – Stewart Alexander
Stewart Alexander (politician)
Stewart Alexis Alexander is an American democratic socialist politician, presidential nominee for the Socialist Party USA in the 2012 election., and former SPUSA nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2008 election....

, activist and 2008 Socialist Party USA
Socialist Party USA
The Socialist Party USA is a multi-tendency democratic-socialist party in the United States. The party states that it is the rightful continuation and successor to the tradition of the Socialist Party of America, which had lasted from 1901 to 1972.The party is officially committed to left-wing...

vice-presidential nominee, officially announces his candidacy for the presidential nomination of the Peace and Freedom Party.
January 12 – Herman Cain
Herman Cain
Herman Cain is a candidate for the 2012 U.S. Republican Party presidential nomination.Cain has a background as a business executive, syndicated columnist, and radio host from Georgia. He served as chairman and CEO of Godfather's Pizza from 1986 to 1996...

, radio host
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...

, businessman and former Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

candidate from Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, announces the formation of a formal exploratory committee in preparation for a possible run for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.
January 18 – Randall Terry
Randall Terry
Randall Almira Terry is an American pro-life activist and candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in 2012. Terry founded the pro-life organization Operation Rescue. The group became particularly prominent beginning in 1987 for blockading the entrances to abortion clinics;...

, a pro-life activist from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

and former Republican, officially announces his candidacy for the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party.
January 22 – The New Hampshire Straw Poll
New Hampshire Straw Poll
The New Hampshire Straw Poll is a straw poll for the United States Republican presidential primary elections that was started in 2011 through promotion by ABC News and WMUR-TV...

is won by Mitt Romney with 35% of the vote.

February 2011

February 8 – Andy Martin, perennial candidate
Perennial candidate
A perennial candidate is one who frequently runs for public office with a record of success that is infrequent, if existent at all. Perennial candidates are often either members of minority political parties or have political opinions that are not mainstream. They may run without any serious hope...

and birther movement
Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theories about the citizenship of Barack Obama claim that Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States and is therefore not eligible to be President of the United States under Article Two of the U.S. Constitution. Some theories allege that Obama was born in Kenya, not...

activist from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, formally filed papers with the Federal Election Commission to run for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.
February 12–Conservative Political Action Conference; Ron Paul wins straw poll.
February 28 – The Tea Party Patriots
Tea Party Patriots
Tea Party Patriots is an American political organization that promotes "fiscally responsible" activism as part of the Tea Party movement. It claims to have over 1,000 local chapters...

straw poll
Straw poll
A straw poll or straw vote is a vote with nonbinding results. Straw polls provide dialogue among movements within large groups, reflecting trends like organization and motivation...

is won by Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...

, U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

.

March 2011

March 3 – Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....

, former Speaker of the House of Representatives
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...

, announces the formation of an informal exploratory committee in preparation for a potential run for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.

Buddy Roemer

Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer III is an American politician who served as the 52nd Governor of Louisiana, from 1988 to 1992. He was elected as a Democrat but switched to the Republican Party on March 11, 1991...

, former Governor of Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

, announces the formation of an exploratory committee in preparation for a potential run the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.

March 16 – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expands on her previous statement to also specify that she will not serve as vice-president or a second term as Secretary of State.
March 21 – Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...

, former Governor of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

, announces the formation of an exploratory committee in preparation for a potential run for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party. Fred Karger announces he will run for president.
March 23 – Fred Karger officially announces his candidacy for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.

April 2011

April 4 – President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

formally files papers with the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...

and officially announces his candidacy for a second presidential nomination of the Democratic Party, and re-election to a second term as President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

.
April 11 – Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...

, former Governor of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

, announces the formation of a formal exploratory committee in preparation of a potential run for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party. The St. Anselm College Republican Straw Poll in Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...

is won by Fred Karger with 25% of the vote followed closely by Romney with 23%.
April 13 – Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum
Richard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...

, former Senator from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, announces the formation of a formal exploratory committee in preparation of a potential run for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.
April 18 – Roy Moore
Roy Moore
Roy Stewart Moore is an American jurist and Republican politician noted for his refusal, as the elected Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama, to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the state courthouse despite orders to do so from a federal judge...

, Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...

of the Alabama Supreme Court
Alabama Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state of Alabama. The court consists of an elected Chief Justice and eight elected Associate Justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for staggered six year terms. The Governor of Alabama may fill vacancies when they occur...

, announces the formation of a formal exploratory committee in preparation for a potential run for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.
April 21 – Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson may refer to:*Gary Johnson , former Governor of New Mexico and candidate for President in 2012*Gary Johnson , American politician, Wisconsin State Assembly...

, former Governor of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

, officially announces his candidacy
Gary E. Johnson presidential campaign, 2012
Former Governor Gary Johnson of New Mexico declared his candidacy for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States on April 21, 2011.-Background:Johnson initially indicated interest in running for president in the 2012 election in 2009...

the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.
April 26 – Ron Paul announced the formation of a formal exploratory committee in preparation for a run for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.

May 2011

May 3 – Jon Huntsman
Jon Huntsman, Jr.
Jon Meade Huntsman, Jr. is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah. He also served in the administrations of four United States presidents and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.Huntsman worked as a White House staff assistant for...

, former U.S. Ambassador to China
United States Ambassador to China
The United States Ambassador to China is the chief American diplomat to People's Republic of China . The United States has sent diplomatic representatives to China since 1844, when Caleb Cushing, as Commissioner, negotiated the Treaty of Wanghia. Commissioners represented the United States in...

, filed papers to create a federal political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...

.

May 5 – The first Republican debate takes place in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

with Cain, Johnson, Pawlenty, Paul, and Santorum participating.
May 11 – Newt Gingrich officially announces his candidacy
Newt Gingrich presidential campaign, 2012
Former U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich of Georgia began preparing for a possible campaign for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States shortly following the 2010 midterm elections. He was politically active during the midterm elections, and...

for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.
May 13 – Ron Paul officially announces his candidacy
Ron Paul presidential campaign, 2012
U.S. Representative Ron Paul of Texas is running for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States. Although he was frequently mentioned as a possible candidate, Paul stopped short of a full-fledged candidacy before May 2011. Prior to that, he had only indicated that he...

for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.
May 14 – Former Arkansas Governor and 2008 candidate Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...

announces he will not run for president in 2012.
May 16 – Businessman Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...

announces he will not run for president in 2012.
May 21 – Herman Cain officially announces his candidacy
Herman Cain presidential campaign, 2012
Businessman, radio host, former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and former United States Senate candidate Herman Cain of Georgia began a campaign for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States shortly after the 2010 midterm elections.Although he was...

for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.
May 22 – Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels
Mitch Daniels
Mitchell Elias "Mitch" Daniels, Jr. is the 49th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana. A Republican, he began his first four-year term as governor on January 10, 2005, and was elected to his second term by an 18-point margin on November 4, 2008. Previously, he was the Director of the...

announces he will not run for president in 2012.
May 23 - Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty officially announces his candidacy
Tim Pawlenty presidential campaign, 2012
Former Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota began a movement for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States shortly after the 2010 midterm elections....

for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.

June 2011

June 2 – Mitt Romney officially announces his candidacy
Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2012
The Mitt Romney 2012 presidential campaign began informally shortly after the 2008 presidential election. Having campaigned for the Republican nomination in 2008, the former Governor of Massachusetts was frequently mentioned as a possible candidate for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for U.S....

for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.
June 6 – Rick Santorum officially announces his candidacy
Rick Santorum presidential campaign, 2012
Former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania began a campaign for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for president of the United States in April 2011...

for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.
June 13 – CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...

and the Manchester Union Leader hosts a Republican debate in Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...

.

Michele Bachmann

Michele Marie Bachmann is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing , a post she has held since 2007. The district includes several of the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities, such as Woodbury, and Blaine as well as Stillwater and St. Cloud.She is currently a...

, U.S. Representative of Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

, announces during the debate that she has filed papers with the Federal Election Commission for a run for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.

June 18 – Results of the Southern Republican Leadership Conference straw poll: Ron Paul 612; Jon Huntsman 382; Michele Bachmann 191; Herman Cain 104; Mitt Romney 74; Newt Gingrich 69; Sarah Palin 41; Rick Santorum 30; Tim Pawlenty 18; Gary Johnson 10; Buddy Roemer 9; Thad McCotter 2
June 21 – Jon Huntsman officially announces his candidacy
Jon Huntsman presidential campaign, 2012
Jon Huntsman is a Republican Party candidate for the 2012 United States presidential election. On May 3, 2011, Huntsman announced his intentions to file a political action committee with the Federal Election Commission...

for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.

June 22 – Retired engineer and perennial candidate Jack Fellure
Jack Fellure
Lowell Jackson "Jack" Fellure is an American perennial political candidate and retired engineer. He is the presidential nominee of the Prohibition Party for the 2012 presidential election.-Campaigns:...

wins the presidential nomination of the Prohibition Party
Prohibition Party
The Prohibition Party is a political party in the United States best known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages. It is the oldest existing third party in the US. The party was an integral part of the temperance movement...

at the Party's national convention in Cullman, Alabama
Cullman, Alabama
Cullman is a city in Cullman County, State of Alabama. Cullman is located along Interstate 65, about north of Birmingham, and about south of Huntsville. According to the U.S...

.
June 27 - Michele Bachmann officially announces her candidacy
Michele Bachmann presidential campaign, 2012
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Minnesota began a campaign for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for president of the United States in June 2011. Bachmann announced she was running for president during the CNN Republican primary debate held June 13, 2011, and made her formal announcement two...

for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.

July 2011

July 1 - Thaddeus McCotter, U.S. Representative of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

, announces he has filed papers with the Federal Election Commission to campaign for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.
July 2 - Thaddeus McCotter officially announces his candidacy for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.
July 21 - Buddy Roemer officially announces his candidacy
Buddy Roemer presidential campaign, 2012
Former Governor of Louisiana and former U.S. Congressman Buddy Roemer of Louisiana began a movement for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for President of the United States shortly following the 2010 midterm elections....

for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.

August 2011

August 12 - Republican candidates debate is held in Iowa. Bachmann, Cain, Gingrich, Huntsman, Paul, Pawlenty, Romney, and Santorum are the participants.
August 13 - Michele Bachmann wins the Ames straw poll
Ames Straw Poll
The Ames Straw Poll is a presidential straw poll taken by Iowa Republicans. It occurs in Ames, Iowa on the campus of Iowa State University, on a Saturday in August of years in an election cycle in which the Republican presidential nomination seems to be undecided...

in Iowa. Results: Michele Bachmann 4823; Ron Paul 4671; Tim Pawlenty 2293; Rick Santorum 1657; Herman Cain 1456; Rick Perry 718; Mitt Romney 567; Newt Gingrich 385; John Huntsman 69; Thad McCotter 35
August 13 - Texas Governor Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...

officially announces his candidacy
Rick Perry presidential campaign, 2012
Rick Perry, the four-term Governor of Texas, announced via a spokesman on August 11, 2011, that he will be running for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for president of the United States...

for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party.
August 14 - Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...

announces his withdrawal from the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

September 2011

September 6 - John Bolton
John R. Bolton
John Robert Bolton is an American lawyer and diplomat who has served in several Republican presidential administrations. He served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations from August 2005 until December 2006 on a recess appointment...

, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
The United States Ambassador to the United Nations is the leader of the U.S. delegation, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The position is more formally known as the "Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador...

, announces that he will not run for president in 2012.
September 7 - Republican candidates debate is held in Simi Valley, California
Simi Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Simi Valley had a population of 124,237. The population density was 2,940.8 people per square mile...

. Bachmann, Cain, Gingrich, Huntsman, Perry, Paul, Romney, and Santorum are the participants.
September 8— President Obama addresses a joint meeting of Congress to propose jobs bill.
September 12 - Republican candidates debate is held in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

. Bachmann, Cain, Gingrich, Huntsman, Perry, Paul, Romney, and Santorum are the participants.
September 14 -Arizona Governor Jan Brewer issues an official proclamation that the Arizona primary shall be held on Feb. 28.
September 19 -Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....

and others announce a coalition to find a Primary challenger for Obama.
September 22 - U.S. Representative Thaddeus McCotter announces his withdrawal from the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
September 22 - Republican candidates debate is held in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...

. Sponsors: Fox News, Google and Florida Republican Party. Participants: Bachmann, Cain, Gingrich, Huntsman, Johnson, Perry, Paul, Romney, and Santorum.
September 26 - Florida 5 straw poll: Cain 37.1%; Perry 15.4%, Romney 14,Santorum 10.9; Paul 10.4; Gingrich, 8.4;Huntsman, 2.3 ; and Bachmann 1.5.

October 2011

October 4—Chris Christie, Governor
Governor (United States)
In the United States, the title governor refers to the chief executive of each state or insular territory, not directly subordinate to the federal authorities, but the political and ceremonial head of the state.-Role and powers:...

of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, responding to mounting speculation that he would make a late entry in the Republican presidential nomination race, announces he will not run for President in 2012.
October 5—Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...

, former Governor
Governor (United States)
In the United States, the title governor refers to the chief executive of each state or insular territory, not directly subordinate to the federal authorities, but the political and ceremonial head of the state.-Role and powers:...

of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

and 2008
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...

Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

nominee for Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...

, announces that she will not run for President in 2012.
October 11— Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....

, Former Mayor of New York City
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...

, announces that he will not run for President in 2012.
October 11— Republican candidates debate on Bloomberg Television at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Sponsored by Bloomberg, The Washington Post and WBIN-TV.
October 12— Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Gary Johnson, and Rick Santorum, all address the New Hampshire House of Representatives.
October 18— Republican candidates debate on CNN in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sponsored by CNN and the Western Republican Leadership Conference.

November 2011

November 9— Republican candidates debate on CNBC at Oakland University in Rochester, MI. Sponsored by CNBC and the Michigan Republican Party.
November 22- Republican candidates debate on CNN in Washington, D.C..
November 30- Republican candidates debate on CNN in Phoenix, AZ.

December 2011

December 10th— Republican candidates debate on ABC in Des Moines, IA. Sponsored by ABC News and Republican Party of Iowa.

January 2012

January 3 – Confirmed date of the Iowa caucuses
January 10 - Confirmed date of the New Hampshire Primary
New Hampshire primary
The New Hampshire primary is the first in a series of nationwide political party primary elections held in the United States every four years , as part of the process of choosing the Democratic and Republican nominees for the presidential elections to be held the subsequent November.Although only a...
January 21 – Confirmed date of the South Carolina primary
South Carolina primary
The South Carolina presidential primary has become one of several key early state nominating contests in the process of choosing nominees of the Democratic and Republican parties for the following election for President of the United States....
January 26 - Republican Party of Florida/CNN Republican Debate in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
January 31 - Confirmed date of the Florida primary, in violation of the RNC rules (Florida will lose half of its delegates at the RNC Convention)

February 2012

February 4 – Confirmed date of the Nevada caucuses
Nevada caucuses
The Nevada caucuses are held every four years to determine whom Nevada's delegates will support in choosing Republican and Democratic presidential candidates....
February 7 - Confirmed date of the Colorado caucus; unknown if the RNC will object
February— Republican candidates debate on ABC, likely between February 7 and 13, in New Hampshire. Sponsored by ABC News and WMUR.
February— Republican candidates debate on Fox News, likely between February 19 and 27, in South Carolina. Sponsored by Fox News and South Carolina Republican Party.
February 28 – Confirmed date of the Arizona primary (in violation of Republican National Committee rules), and South Carolina Democratic primary
February 28 - Expected date of the Michigan primary

March 2012

March 5— Republican candidates debate on NBC at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA. Sponsored by the Reagan Library, NBC News, and Politico.
March 6 (Super Tuesday) – Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts Republican caucuses, Minnesota Democratic caucuses, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming Republican caucuses (through March 10)
March 10 – Kansas Republican caucuses
March 11 – Maine Democratic caucuses
March 13 – Alabama, Hawaii Republican caucuses, Mississippi, Utah Democratic caucuses
March 19— Republican candidates debate on PBS at Oregon Public Broadcasting studios in Portland, OR. Sponsored by OPB, The Washington Times, and the Oregon Republican Party.
March 20 – Illinois
March 24 – Louisiana

April 2012

April 3 – Maryland, Wisconsin, Washington DC
April 7 – Hawaii Democratic caucuses, Wyoming Democratic caucuses
April 14 – Idaho Democratic caucuses, Kansas Democratic caucuses, Nebraska Democratic caucuses
April 15 – Alaska Democratic caucuses, Washington Democratic caucuses
April 18-21 - 2012 Constitution Party National Convention to be held in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
April 24 – Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island

May 2012

May 4–6 – The 2012 Libertarian National Convention
2012 Libertarian National Convention
The United States 2012 Libertarian National Convention, in which delegates of the Libertarian Party will choose the party's nominees for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States in the 2012 national election, is scheduled to be held May 4-6, 2012 in Las Vegas,...

to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

.
May 5 – Michigan Democratic caucuses
May 8 – Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia
May 15 – Nebraska, Oregon
May 22 – Arkansas, Kentucky

June 2012

June 5 – California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota Democratic caucuses South Dakota
June 26 – Utah

August 2012

August 27–30 – The 2012 Republican National Convention
2012 Republican National Convention
The United States 2012 Republican National Convention, in which delegates of the Republican Party will choose the party's nominees for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States, will be held during the week of August 27, 2012, in Tampa, Florida at the St...

to be held in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

.
August 28 - Alaska Primary Election (fourth Tuesday in August of even numbered years). http://www.elections.alaska.gov/ei_primary.php

September 2012

September 3–6 – The 2012 Democratic National Convention
2012 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2012 Democratic National Convention, in which delegates of the Democratic Party will choose the party's nominees for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States in the 2012 national election, is scheduled to be held during the week of September 3,...

to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

.

October 2012

October 3 — First Presidential Debate at University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....

in Denver, Colorado
October 11 — Vice Presidential Debate at Centre College
Centre College
Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, USA, a community of approximately 16,000 in Boyle County south of Lexington, KY. Centre is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution. Centre was founded by Presbyterian leaders, with whom it maintains a loose...

in Danville, Kentucky
Danville, Kentucky
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties....
October 16 — Second Presidential Debate at Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...

in Hempstead, New York
Hempstead (village), New York
Hempstead is a village located in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 53,891 at the 2010 census.Hofstra University is located on the border between Hempstead and Uniondale.-Foundation:...
October 22 — Third Presidential Debate at Lynn University
Lynn University
Lynn University is a private, non-profit university in Boca Raton, Florida, founded in 1962.The university currently hosts students from 40 states and 90 nations...

in Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...

December 2012

December 17 - Electoral College formally elects a President and Vice President

January 2013

January 6 - Electoral votes formally counted before a joint session of Congress; the President of the Senate formally announces the electoral result.
January 20 - The inauguration of the President and Vice President.

External links

2012 Presidential Form 2 Filers at the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...

(FEC)

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