Introducing Long Play

To win America, you need to win the South. 

The South is the new epicenter of American politics and culture. Population growth, economic investment, cultural influence, and political realignment are reshaping the region and, in turn, the nation. For both major parties, these states have become central to their political future.  

Changes to voting rights have fundamentally altered the political landscape, with consequences that extend far beyond the South. Those effects are already shaping elections nationwide and will continue to influence the political map through 2026, 2028, and beyond. At the same time, rapid population growth is shifting political power southward, increasing the region's influence in Congress and the Electoral College. The stakes could not be higher. 

To win in the South, you have to understand the South. Across six Southern states, Long Play will explore the people, communities, institutions, and forces shaping one of the most dynamic regions in America. 

We’ll examine the issues driving voters, the assumptions that no longer hold, what the rest of the country is missing about the South, and the leaders who may shape politics and public life in 2026, 2028, and beyond.