Croissant jelly beans cotton candy marzipan chocolate cake soufflé lollipop. Lollipop sesame snaps leThe Democratic Party has long relied on key battleground states in the North and West to secure national victories, but the South—despite its conservative reputation—remains a vital, untapped resource for political power. For years, the party has ceded ground in Southern states, assuming that the region’s entrenched Republican dominance was an immovable force. Yet, a growing wave of progressive activism and an increasingly diverse electorate in the South suggest that the region is ripe for transformation—if the Democratic Party is willing to make the necessary investment.
As national politics shift, the Southern states present both a challenge and an opportunity. For Democrats to build a sustainable political future, they must shift their focus to the South, investing in progressive candidates and empowering the voter base that is emerging in cities, suburbs, and rural areas alike. Here’s why the South matters, why it’s time for the Democratic Party to invest in progressive change in the region, and how such an investment could reshape the future of American politics.