In his new book, a UNC Charlotte political science professor contends that increasing wealth and urbanization in the southeast United States has led to an ongoing partisan political realignment in the region from the Democratic to the Republican Party. Author Terrel L. Rhodes suggests that the South, a region once dominated by Democrats, is now the battleground of two viable and competitive parties. In those years when the Democrats have not had a Southerner on the ticket, they have done miserably in the South. Republican presidential candidates have done well in the region regardless of their home state. Rhodes makes it clear, however, that the realignment has not been uniform across all southern states, nor has it led to the demise of the Democratic Party.
Democrats still hold many of the governor offices and control many of the state legislatures.
What has changed at the state level is that Republicans are now true competitors, with the capability of winning almost any seat. Rhodes contends that the political shift can be explained, in large part, by the increased prosperity that has come to the South in the last 50 years. Republicans have always drawn strength from suburbanites. At the same time, traditional issues, such as gender, race and religion, continue to influence partisan voting in the South. Finally, Rhodes argues that gaining power in the South has been a key factor in the Republicans' national rise.