THE GREAT AMERICAN POLITICAL ROADTRIP: ALABAMA AND ALASKA

Hello Subscribers,

Welcome to my first stops in the Great American Political Roadtrip. Over the next six months or so, join me as we visit all 50 states and break down the political dynamics in each by region, city, county and even in some cases towns. The analysis will include why and how these places vote the way they do, and where the trends are, along with recent victorious or over-performing election results for the “out” party, the party that lost the most recent presidential elections in the state, to show how these states could be competitive in 2024 and beyond.

This week, we will pay a visit to two “red states,” Alabama and Alaska and break down the political situation in both. Despite both being staunchly Republican, Democrats have won statewide races there in recent years.

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Thanks for reading!

-Nick

ALABAMA

The 2020 Presidential election in Alabama, by county

Alabama is one of the reddest of red states, but less than a century ago, perhaps in your parents’ or grandparents’ lifetimes, it was one of the bluest of the blue. While the hue of Alabama politics changed, the dynamics have not. The Heart of Dixie is the epitome of Southern conservatism. No place in America is more representative of the political realignment that took place during and after the Civil Rights Era than the place where it started.

Alabama’s political polarization is among the greatest in the country. It’s one of the few states with counties where Donald Trump and Joe Biden both won over 80 percent of the vote. That is due to the racial polarization of politics in the South. Black voters, who make up between 20 and 25 percent of the state’s electorate, typically vote 90 percent or more for Democratic candidates, while white voters – about three quarters of the electorate – usually give Republicans 75-80 percent of their vote. Since the white population is much larger, that skews the state Republican by a lot. It also leads to the dark blue and dark red that can be found on Alabama’s election maps.