By 2030, 40% of Americans will live in the South, and six of the nation’s fastest-growing states are located in this critical region
The new Southern States Resource Hub is part of the DNC’s ongoing response to the Callais decision and its effort to ensure state parties have the talent and infrastructure necessary to compete in 2026, 2028, and beyond
The initiative comes as Democrats see real opportunities to gain ground across the South
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is launching a new Southern States Resource Hub, a major investment aimed at helping state parties build the strategic infrastructure needed to compete — and win — across the South. The historic initiative follows the Callais decision and comes as the region becomes increasingly important on the country’s political map, with Democrats looking to build a stronger presence ahead of the midterms, 2028, and beyond.
The Resource Hub is designed to address years of underinvestment in Southern state parties and give them additional tools for organizing, voter registration, data, fundraising, and communications to compete in a region where the electorate is rapidly changing. The DNC is particularly focused on strengthening outreach to Southern voters, whose political power is increasingly the target of Republican redistricting and voter suppression efforts across the region.
DNC Chair Ken Martin released the following statement about the New Southern States Resource Hub:
“I like to say Democrats need to skate to where the puck is going, and for the future of politics in this country, one thing we know is that the puck is heading to the South. As Donald Trump and Republicans focus on attacking democracy in the South while continuing to raise prices and cut health care, Democrats are focused on expanding opportunity, building a stronger coalition of voters, and winning races up and down the ballot. The new DNC Southern States Resource Hub is a historic investment to ensure Democratic state parties in the South have the resources they need to compete, protect voters, and win, because lasting power is built long before Election Day.”
The DNC’s new Southern States Resource Hub includes:
- Staffing support: The DNC is building a state-of-the-art talent pipeline to connect Southern states and coordinated campaigns with the staff that they need to compete and win. Through programs including BlueMatch and the Battleground Leadership Project, the DNC has built a centralized network of prospective staffers for entry- and mid-level roles while its Organizer Bootcamps have already trained hundreds of organizers to date in the South. This coordinated approach gives state parties access to a deeper, more skilled pool of talent while strengthening the campaign infrastructure needed to compete year-round.
- Fundraising support: The DNC will provide several Southern states with individualized fundraising support and provide professional design resources to help these state parties create persuadable fundraising materials, strengthen fundraising operations, and build sustainable financial programs.
- Data infrastructure and strategic support: The DNC’s data team will provide state-specific voter contact strategies and voter registration analysis to help several states identify opportunities to expand the electorate and deploy resources effectively.
- Messaging support: The DNC is offering Southern states one of the largest direct voter listening efforts in Democratic politics. This draws on insights from calls to hundreds of thousands of voters in battleground communities, with a focus on understanding the experiences and priorities of Black and Latino communities. This cutting-edge approach will give state parties a clearer picture of what voters in the South care about, helping them develop more effective, locally resonant messages that reflect the concerns of the communities they are working to reach.
Under Chair Martin’s leadership, the DNC has significantly expanded its investments in Southern states through initiatives such as the State Partnership Program (SPP), the Red State Fund, and the NextWave Regional Bootcamp Program. Under the SPP, state parties now receive $17,500 per month, a $5,000 a month increase from previous years. The Red State Fund also ensures that Republican controlled states receive an additional $5,000 per month, bringing their total monthly investment to $22,500. State parties are already using these resources to hire organizers, communications staff, and voter protection teams, while building year-round voter registration programs, volunteer networks, constituency outreach operations, and down-ballot campaign infrastructure.
