WASHINGTON – The 2012 Presidential Election is in the books. President Barack Obama won re-election Tuesday night despite a fierce challenge from Republican Mitt Romney, prevailing in the face of a weak economy and high unemployment.
The president sealed his victory in Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire and Colorado, four of the nine battleground states where the two rivals and their allies spent nearly $1 billion on dueling television commercials. Democrats also won two more years of control of the Senate, and Republicans were on track to do likewise in the House.
The two rivals were close in the popular vote. Romney had 45.2 million votes, or 49 percent. Obama had 45 million, also 49 percent, with 65 percent of precincts tallied.
In Chautauqua County, Romney was the highest vote getter, receiving 53 percent (25,795) of the local votes. Obama came in with 44.9 percent (21,815). Of the third party candidates, Gary Johnson of the constitution party was the highest vote getter, garnering 465 – nearly 1 percent – of all votes cast in Chautauqua County.
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