Southern Democrats
Southern Democrats were white voters in the American South who historically supported the Democratic Party until the civil rights movement triggered a massive, decades-long migration to the Republican Party.
Southern Democrats were a significant faction of white voters in the American South who historically supported the Democratic Party, particularly before the mid-20th century. They were central to the party's dominance in the region until the civil rights movement and subsequent policy changes triggered a massive, decades-long migration of Southern whites to the Republican Party. This group's realignment was not an overnight switch but a gradual, regionally driven process reshaping party coalitions from the 1930s through the 1960s and beyond.
What this means in real life
A voter in Mississippi in 1950 might have supported Democratic candidates for their pro-labor, pro-farmer economic policies while also backing those same candidates' opposition to civil rights—a combination that became untenable after the 1960s.
What it isn’t
Not simply 'Democrats who live in the South today.' The term refers to a specific historical voting bloc with distinct ideological characteristics (especially racial conservatism) that dominated Southern politics until the 1960s realignment.
Commonly misused online
Often used anachronistically to describe modern Southern Democrats as if they represent continuity with the segregationist bloc, ignoring the fundamental party realignment and demographic shifts of the past 60 years.
Based on 1 reference source, including Wikipedia. Last verified July 12, 2026.