2012 Missouri Attorney General election
November 6, 2012
 
Nominee Chris Koster Ed Martin
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,491,139 1,084,106
Percentage 55.9% 40.6%
Koster:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      80–90%
Martin:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Attorney General before election

Chris Koster
Democratic

 Elected Attorney General

Chris Koster
Democratic

The 2012 Missouri Attorney General election was held on November 6, 2012, alongside the presidential and gubernatorial elections. The incumbent Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, a Democrat, won re-election for a second full term against Republican attorney Ed Martin. As of 2024, this is the last time a Democrat was elected Attorney General of Missouri.

Background

Koster was originally elected as attorney general in 2008 as a Democrat after switching from the Republican Party. Koster won despite accusations that his campaign violated state law in raising money from multiple committees. He also survived the disclosure that he played a supporting role in a plagiarism episode that damaged Attorney General William L. Webster’s campaign for governor in 1992. Fresh out of law school, Koster worked for Webster, a Republican, as an assistant state attorney general.[1]

He defeated State Representative Margaret Donnelly in the Democratic primary for the nomination for Missouri Attorney General and won against Republican state senator Michael R. Gibbons in the general election, 53%-47%.[2] He was sworn in as attorney general on January 12, 2009, succeeding Jay Nixon, who had served since 1993.

Timeline

  • March 27, 2012 - Filing deadline for Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians[3]
  • August 7, 2012 - Primary (gubernatorial and other statewide office) elections[3]
  • August 21, 2012 - Filing deadline for other third parties and Independents[3]
  • November 6, 2012 - General election.[3]

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Declined

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Ed
Martin		 Adam
Warren		 Undecided
Public Policy Polling August 4–5, 2012 590 ± 4.0% 46% 17% 37%

Results

100% reporting (3,420 of 3,420 precincts)[7]

Republican primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ed Martin 373,434 71.6
Republican Adam Lee Warren 148,432 28.4
Total votes 521,866 100.0

Martin, who served as chief of staff for Governor Matt Blunt from 2006 until November 2007, won the Republican primary in a landslide, 72%-28% and become the party's nominee.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Koster was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

General election

Polling

Poll source Date(s) administered Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Chris
Koster (D)		 Ed
Martin (R)		 Other Undecided
Mason-Dixon October 23–25, 2012 625 ± 4% 51% 37% — 12%
Public Policy Polling October 19–21, 2012 582 ± 4.1% 48% 38% — 13%
Public Policy Polling August 20, 2012 500 ± 4.4% 41% 39% — 20%

Results

2012 Missouri Attorney General election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Chris Koster (incumbent) 1,482,381 55.81% +2.98
Republican Ed Martin 1,081,510 40.71% -6.46
Libertarian Dave Browning 92,465 3.48% N/A
Total votes 2,668,064 100.00% N/A
Democratic hold

On election day, Koster defeated Martin by a wide margin of over 14 percentage points, an increase from his 5% margin of victory in 2008. This is despite Republican Mitt Romney defeating Democratic President Barack Obama in the concurrent presidential election in Missouri, although other incumbent state Democratic officials were re-elected as well. Governor Jay Nixon won re-election by more than 12 percentage points, Senator Claire McCaskill won re-election by over 15 percentage points, and Clint Zweifel won by 5 percentage points. Jason Kander was also elected Secretary of State by just over one percentage point.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Gibbons vs. Koster". archive.columbiatribune.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  2. ↑ Unofficial Election Returns Missouri Secretary of State
  3. 1 2 3 4 from the Missouri Secretary of State
  4. ↑ Martin to run for Mo. Atty. General. Associated Press via Kirksville Daily Express. Published 2012-01-26.
  5. ↑ "Missouri Attorney General race gains another candidate". Associated Press via KBIA radio website. February 23, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Rep. McNary to challenge Treasurer Zweifel". Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Election Night Reporting". MO Secretary of State. August 8, 2012. Archived from the original on December 12, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  • Elections from the Missouri Secretary of State
Official campaign websites
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