2012 United States Senate election in Rhode Island

The 2012 United States Senate election in Rhode Island was on November 6, 2012, alongside the presidential election, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections.

In the 2006 Senate election, former Attorney General of Rhode Island Sheldon Whitehouse defeated one-term Republican incumbent Lincoln Chafee. Chafee had been appointed to the Senate in 1999 when his father, the incumbent senator John Chafee died. He then won election to a first term in 2000. Whitehouse won 53.52% of the vote in 2006.

Incumbent Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse was reelected to a second term in a landslide by a 30 point margin of 65% - 35%. This election was the first time since 1970 that the election for Rhode Island's Class 1 Senate seat did not feature a member of the Chafee family.

Declared

 * Sheldon Whitehouse, incumbent U.S. Senator

Unsuccessful

 * Todd Giroux, contractor and Independent candidate for governor in 2010

Declared

 * Barry Hinckley, president and co-founder of software company Bullhorn

Declined

 * Joseph Almond, Lincoln town administrator
 * Scott Avedisian, Mayor of Warwick
 * Donald Carcieri, former Governor of Rhode Island
 * Giovanni Cicione, former chairman of the Rhode Island Republican Party
 * Brendan Doherty, former Rhode Island state police superintendent (running for a U.S. House seat)
 * Leo Fontaine, Mayor of Woonsocket
 * Allan Fung, Mayor of Cranston
 * John Robitaille, businessman and nominee for Governor in 2010

Declined

 * Alan Hassenfeld, former Hasbro CEO

Debates

 * Complete video of debate, October 24, 2012 - YouTube

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

 * Bristol (largest municipality: Bristol)
 * Kent (largest city: Warwick)
 * Newport (largest municipality: Newport)
 * Washington (largest municipality: South Kingstown)

Results by congressional district
Whitehouse won both congressional districts.