What drives Republican strength in Mississippi?

DeSoto County (Memphis suburb, R+40+), Lee County (Tupelo), all rural white counties. Key realignment driver: Racial polarization, Civil Rights Act backlash, evangelical Christian movement

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Solid Republican

Mississippi Political History & Voting Patterns

Q: How has Mississippi voted historically in presidential elections?

Solid D through 1960; solid R since 1976. Mississippi's political history is inseparable from race. The state was Solid South Democratic territory until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 triggered a total realignment. Goldwater carried Mississippi with 87% in 1964; the state has voted Republican ever since. Mississippi's 38% Black population — t

Solid D through 1960; solid R since 1976. A complete guide to how Mississippi has voted in presidential elections, which coalitions have driven results, and how the state has shifted over time.

R+16

Current Lean

Electoral Votes

3.0M

Population

Historical Overview

Mississippi’s political history is inseparable from race. The state was Solid South Democratic territory until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 triggered a total realignment. Goldwater carried Mississippi with 87% in 1964; the state has voted Republican ever since. Mississippi’s 38% Black population — the highest percentage of any state — votes overwhelmingly Democratic but cannot overcome the white Republican majority. Mississippi ranks last or near-last on nearly every economic metric, yet Republican governance has dominated for 50 years. Bennie Thompson, the only Democratic congressman, holds a majority-Black district.