American politics In the United States, politics functions within a framework of a constitutional federal republic, federal democratic republic with a presidential system. The three distinct branches Separation of powers, share powers: United States Congress, C ...

, a conservative Democrat is a member of the Democratic Party with more

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

views than most Democrats. Traditionally, conservative Democrats have been elected to office from the Southern states, rural areas, and the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

. In a 2024 Gallup survey 55% of democrats identified as liberal or very liberal, 34% identified as moderate, and 9% identified as conservative or very conservative. Before 1964, the Democratic Party and Republican Party each had influential liberal, moderate, and conservative wings. During this period, conservative Democrats formed the Democratic half of the conservative coalition. After 1964, the Democratic Party retained its conservative wing through the 1970s with the help of urban

machine politics In the politics of Representative democracy, representative democracies, a political machine is a party organization that recruits its members by the use of tangible incentives (such as money or political jobs) and that is characterized by a hi ...

. In the 21st century, the number of conservative Democrats decreased as the party moved leftward, with significant declines of conservative identification among democrats occurring during the first term of

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

between 2002 and 2005 (declining from 26% to 21%). And during the ending years of

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

's second term and first year of Trump's first presidency, between 2014 and 2017 (declining from 19% to 13%). The Blue Dog Coalition represents centrist and conservative Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, the group had historically had significant influence over the party during the 1990s and 2000s, though it's influence on the party has declined since the 2010s.

History

1876–1964: Solid South

The Solid South describes the reliable electoral support of the U.S. Southern states for Democratic Party candidates for almost a century after the

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...

era. Except for

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...

, when

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

candidate

Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was the 42nd governor of New York, serving from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1923 to 1928. He was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party's presidential nominee in the 1 ...

ran on the Democratic ticket, Democrats won heavily in the South in every presidential election from

1876 Events January * January 1 ** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin. ** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol. *January 27 – The Northampton Bank robbery occurs in Massachusetts. February * Febr ...

until 1964 (and even in 1928, the divided South provided most of Smith's electoral votes). The Democratic dominance originated in many Southerners' animosity towards the Republican Party's role in the Civil War and Reconstruction.

1874–1928: Rise of agrarian populism

In 1896,

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running three times as the party' ...

won the Democratic Party nomination by promoting silver over gold, and denouncing the banking system. He had a strong base in the South and Plains states, as well as silver mining centers in the Rocky Mountain states. He was weak in urban areas and immigrant communities which opposed prohibition. He also won the Populist nomination. Conservative Democrats opposed him, especially in the Northeast where "Gold Democrats" were most active. "Gold Democrats" were supporters of

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...

, the hero of conservative Democrats. They formed the National Democratic Party and nominated John Palmer, former governor of Illinois, for president and

Simon Bolivar Buckner Simon Bolivar Buckner ( ; April 1, 1823 – January 8, 1914) was an American soldier, Confederate military officer, and politician. He fought in the United States Army in the Mexican–American War. He later fought in the Confederate State ...

, former governor of Kentucky, for vice-president. They also nominated a few other candidates, including William Campbell Preston Breckinridge for Congress in Kentucky, but they won no elections. Bryan and people he supported (especially Woodrow Wilson) usually dominated the party. However the conservatives did nominate their candidate in 1904, Alton B. Parker.

1932–1948: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal coalition

The

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

election brought about a major realignment in political party affiliation.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

forged a coalition of

labor unions A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

, liberals,

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

s, and southern whites. Roosevelt's program for alleviating the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, collectively known as the

New Deal The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...

, emphasized only economic issues, and thus was compatible with the views of those who supported the New Deal programs but were otherwise conservative. This included the

Southern Democrats Southern Democrats are members of the U.S. Democratic Party who reside in the Southern United States. Before the American Civil War, Southern Democrats mostly believed in Jacksonian democracy. In the 19th century, they defended slavery in the ...

, who were an important part of FDR's New Deal coalition. A number of chairmanships were also held by conservative Democrats during the New Deal years. Conservative Democrats came to oppose the New Deal, especially after 1936. They included Senator Harry F. Byrd and his powerful state organization in Virginia, Senator Rush Holt Sr., Senator Josiah Bailey, and Representative

Samuel B. Pettengill Samuel Barrett Pettengill (January 19, 1886 – March 20, 1974) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from Indiana, representing Indiana's 3rd congressional district and nephew of William H. Clagett, William Horac ...

. The American Liberty League was formed in 1934, to oppose the New Deal. It was made up of wealthy businessmen and conservative Democrats including former Congressman Jouett Shouse of Kansas, former Congressman from West Virginia and 1924 Democratic presidential candidate, John W. Davis, and former governor of New York and 1928 Democratic presidential candidate

. In 1936, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of War, Henry Skillman Breckinridge ran against Roosevelt for the Democratic nomination for president.

John Nance Garner John Nance Garner III (November 22, 1868 – November 7, 1967), known among his contemporaries as "Cactus Jack", was the 32nd vice president of the United States, serving from 1933 to 1941, under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A member of the ...

, of Texas, 32nd Vice President of the United States under Roosevelt, a conservative Southerner, broke with Roosevelt in 1937 and ran against him for the Democratic nomination for president in 1940, but lost. By 1938 conservative Democrats in Congress—chiefly from the South—formed a coalition with Republicans that largely blocked liberal domestic policy until the 1960s. However, most of the conservative Southern Democrats supported the foreign policy of Roosevelt and Truman. Roosevelt tried to purge the more conservative Democrats in numerous states in 1938. He especially tried to unseat those up for reelection who defeated his plan to pack the Supreme Court in 1937. He failed in nearly all cases, except for a major success in defeating John J. O'Connor in Manhattan, a spokesman for big business. A different source of conservative Democratic dissent against the New Deal came from a group of journalists who considered themselves classical liberals and Democrats of the old school, and were opposed to big government programs on principle; these included Albert Jay Nock and John T. Flynn, whose views later became influential in the libertarian movement.

1948–1968: Segregationist backlash

The proclamation by President

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...

and

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

Mayor Hubert Humphrey of support for a

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...

plank in the Democratic Party platform of

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...

led to a walkout of 35 delegates from

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

and

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. These southern delegations nominated their own States Rights Democratic Party, better known as the Dixiecrats, nominees with South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond leading the ticket (Thurmond would later represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate, and join the Republicans in 1964). The Dixiecrats held their convention in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...

, where they nominated Thurmond for president and Fielding L. Wright, governor of Mississippi, for vice president. Dixiecrat leaders worked to have Thurmond-Wright declared the "official" Democratic Party ticket in Southern states. They succeeded in Alabama,

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, Mississippi, and

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

; in other states, they were forced to run as a third-party ticket. Preston Parks, elected as a presidential elector for Truman in

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, instead voted for the Thurmond-Wright ticket. Leander Perez attempted to keep the States Rights Party alive in

after 1948. Similar breakaway Southern Democratic candidates running on

states' rights In United States, American politics of the United States, political discourse, states' rights are political powers held for the state governments of the United States, state governments rather than the federal government of the United States, ...

and

segregationist Racial segregation is the separation of people into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life. Segregation can involve the spatial separation of the races, and mandatory use of different institutions, such as schools and hospitals by peopl ...

platforms would continue in

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...

( T. Coleman Andrews), and 1960 ( Harry F. Byrd). None would be as successful as the American Independent Party campaign of George Wallace, the Democratic governor of Alabama, in 1968. Wallace had briefly run in the Democratic primaries of 1964 against

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of John F. Ken ...

, but dropped out of the race early. In 1968, he formed the new American Independent Party and received 13.5% of the popular vote, and 46 electoral votes, carrying several Southern states. The AIP would run presidential candidates in several other elections, including Southern Democrats ( Lester Maddox in

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

and John Rarick in

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

), but none of them did nearly as well as Wallace.

1970–1999

After 1968, with desegregation a settled issue, conservative Democrats, mostly Southerners, managed to remain in the United States Congress throughout the 1970s and 1980s. These included Democratic House members as conservative as Larry McDonald, who was also a leader in the John Birch Society. During the administration of

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

, the term " boll weevils" was applied to this bloc of conservative Democrats, who consistently voted in favor of tax cuts, increases in military spending, and deregulation favored by the Reagan administration but were opposed to cuts in social welfare spending."Boll Weevils" in ''Elections A-Z'' (ed. John L. Moore: Congressional Quarterly, 1999). Routledge ed. 2013. pp. 27–28. ''Boll weevils'' was sometimes used as a political epithet by Democratic Party leaders, implying that the boll weevils were unreliable on key votes or not team players. Most of the boll weevils either retired from office or (like Senators

Phil Gramm William Philip Gramm (born July 8, 1942) is an American economist and politician who represented Texas in both chambers of United States Congress, Congress. Though he began his political career as a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, Gr ...

and Richard Shelby) switched parties and joined the Republicans. Since 1988, the term ''boll weevils'' has fallen out of favor.

Split-ticket voting Split-ticket voting or ticket splitting is when a voter in an election votes for candidates from different political party, political parties when multiple political office, offices are being decided by a single election, as opposed to straight- ...

was common among conservative Southern Democrats in the 1970s and 1980s. These voters supported conservative Democrats for local and statewide office while simultaneously voting for Republican presidential candidates. For example, Kent Hance defeated future president

in the 1978 midterms. They were sometimes humorously called " Yellow dog Democrats", or " boll weevils" and " Dixiecrats". According to journalist Ed Kilgore, Yellow Dog Democrats were Southerners who saw the Democratic Party as "the default vehicle for day-to-day political life, and the dominant presence, regardless of ideology, for state and local politics." In the

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

after the 1994 Republican Revolution, the Blue Dog Coalition was formed, a caucus of conservatives and centrists willing to broker compromises with the Republican leadership who acted as a unified voting bloc in the past, giving its members some ability to change legislation, depending on their numbers in Congress.

2000–present

During the 2006 midterm elections, the Democratic Party ran moderates and even a few conservative Democrats for at-risk Republican seats. See also: The Blue Dog Democrats gained nine seats during the elections. The New Democrats had support from 27 of the 40 Democratic candidates running for at-risk Republican seats. In his

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

campaign for reelection, Walter Minnick, U.S. Representative for Idaho's 1st congressional district, was endorsed by Tea Party Express, an extremely rare occurrence for a Democrat. Minnick was the only Democrat to receive a 100% rating from the Club for Growth, an organization that typically supports conservative Republicans. Minnick lost to Raúl Labrador, a conservative Republican, in the general election. The Washington Post noted the waning influence of the conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition voting bloc, losing over half of their previously more than 50 U.S. House members in the 2010 midterms. In the 2018 House of Representatives elections, the Democratic Party nominated moderate to conservative candidates in many contested districts and won a majority in the chamber. In the aftermath of the elections, the Blue Dog Coalition expanded to 27 members. During the 117th Congress with the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

evenly split 50-50, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia wielded enormous influence as the most conservative member of the Senate Democratic Caucus. Manchin (along with

Kyrsten Sinema Kyrsten Lea Sinema ( ; born July 12, 1976) is an American politician, lawyer, and former social worker who served from 2019 to 2025 as a United States senator from Arizona. A former member of the Democratic Party, Sinema became an independent ...

) refused to abolish the Senate filibuster for non- budget reconciliation-related legislation, but did vote to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court and voted to pass the Inflation Reduction Act. During the 2022 midterms, Democrats narrowly lost their House majority, though they gained a seat in the Senate. The Blue Dog Coalition was reduced to eight members, the lowest number in its history. In 2023, Joe Manchin, described as the most conservative Democratic U.S. Senator, announced he would not seek re-election in

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

. Manchin left the Democratic Party and registered as an Independent on May 31, 2024.

Blue Dog Coalition

The Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995 during the 104th Congress to give members from the Democratic Party representing conservative-leaning districts a unified voice after Democrats' loss of Congress in the 1994 Republican Revolution. The coalition consists of centrist and conservative Democrats. The term "Blue Dog Democrat" is credited to

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Democratic U.S. Representative Pete Geren (who later joined the Bush administration). Geren opined that the members had been "choked blue" by Democrats on the left. It is related to the political term " Yellow Dog Democrat", a reference to

said to be so loyal they would even vote for a yellow dog before they would vote for any Republican. The term is also a reference to the "Blue Dog" paintings of Cajun artist George Rodrigue of

Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette ( , ) is the most populous city in and parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, Lafayette Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located along the Vermilion River (Louisiana), Vermilion River. It is Louisiana's List of municipaliti ...

. The Blue Dog Coalition "advocates for fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense and bipartisan consensus rather than conflict with Republicans". It acts as a check on legislation that its members perceive to be too far to the right or the left on the political spectrum. The Blue Dog Coalition is often involved in searching for a compromise between liberal and

positions. As of 2014, there was no mention of social issues in the official Blue Dog materials.

Ideology and polls

Historically,

were generally much more conservative than conservative Democrats are now, and formed the Democratic half of the conservative coalition. After the 1994 Republican Revolution, the Republican Party won a majority of U.S. House seats in the South for the first time since Reconstruction, with the remaining conservative Democrats forming the Blue Dog Coalition. Conservative Democrats are generally fiscally conservative, and are often also socially conservative. According to journalist Ed Kilgore, Yellow Dog Democrats were Southerners who saw the Democratic Party as "the default vehicle for day-to-day political life, and the dominant presence, regardless of ideology, for state and local politics." In 2019, the Pew Research Center found that 14% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning registered voters identify as conservative or very conservative, 38% identify as moderate, and 47% identify as liberal or very liberal.

List of conservative Democrats

Presidents

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. A northern Democratic Party (United States), Democrat who believed that the Abolitionism in the United States, abolitio ...

(1853–1857) *

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was the 15th president of the United States, serving from 1857 to 1861. He also served as the United States Secretary of State, secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and represented Pennsylvan ...

(1857–1861) *

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. The 16th vice president, he assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a South ...

(1865–1869) *

(1885–1889; 1893–1897)

Presidential nominees

* John C. Breckinridge Southern Democratic nominee in 1860. Vice-President of United States 1857-1861. *

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey and as Commanding General of the United States Army from November 1861 to March 186 ...

Ran in 1864. Governor of New Jersey 1878-1882. His term as governor was marked by caution and conservatism. * Horatio Seymour Ran in 1868 on a platform of conservative, limited government. * Winfield Scott Hancock Ran in 1880. He was a supporter of

* Alton Parker * John W. Davis * Strom Thurmond: Ran in 1948 as a Dixiecrat the southern conservative faction of the Democratic Party. *

George Wallace George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who was the 45th and longest-serving governor of Alabama (1963–1967; 1971–1979; 1983–1987), and the List of longest-serving governors of U.S. s ...

: Ran on the right-wing American Independent Party in 1968 but ran again in 1972 as a Democrat. * Lester Maddox: Ran for President of the United States in 1976 on the American Independent Party ticket. * John Rarick: U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 6th district (1967-1975). Ran for President of the United States in 1980 on the right-wing American Independent Party.

Senators

* Josiah Bailey: U.S. Senator from

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

from 1931 to 1946. He coauthored the Conservative Manifesto. * Harry F. Byrd: U.S. Senator from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

from 1933 to 1965. He was a leader of the Conservative Coalition. * Robert Byrd: U.S. Senator from

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

from 1959 to 2010. * John C. Calhoun: U.S. Senator from

from 1845 to 1850. Vice-President of the United States from 1825 to 1832. In his later career he supported

, nullification and limited government. * Bennett Champ Clark: U.S. Senator from

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

from 1933 to 1945. He was a leader in the Conservative Coalition. * Carter Glass: U.S. Senator from

from 1920 to 1946. He supported

and opposed much of the

. * Clyde R. Hoey: U.S. Senator from

from 1945 to 1954, Governor of North Carolina from 1937 to 1941, and member of the U.S. House of Representatives, North Carolina 9th District from 1919 to 1921. * Rush Holt, Sr.: U.S. Senator from

from 1935 to 1941. Originally a supporter of

, he became a vocal conservative who was rated the third most conservative Democrat in the Senate from 1937 to 2002. He was an isolationist. In 1949 he switched to Republican. * Mary Landrieu: U.S. Senator from

from 1997 to 2015. * Frank Lausche: U.S. Senator from

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

from 1957 to 1969; supported Ronald Reagan for president in 1984 * Blanche Lincoln: U.S. Senator from

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

from 1999 to 2011. * Joe Manchin: U.S. Senator from

from 2010 to 2025; independent since 2024 but still caucused with Democrats. * Zell Miller: U.S. Senator from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

from 2000 to 2005. Supported George W. Bush for president in 2004. * Cameron A. Morrison: U.S. Senator from

from 1930 to 1932. Governor of North Carolina 1921 to 1925 U.S. Representative from 1943 to 1947. * W. Lee O'Daniel: U.S. Senator from

from 1941 to 1949, Governor of Texas from 1939 to 1941. He was a Dixiecrat who supported the anti-

Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

Texas Regulars * Robert R. Reynolds: United States Senator from

from 1932 to 1945. Originally a supporter of the

, he became a leading isolationist and

tried to purge him from Congress. * A. Willis Robertson: U.S. Senator from

from 1946 to 1966, U.S. Representative from Virginia's 7th District from 1933 to 1946, and member Virginia State Senate from 1916 to 1924. * Richard Russell Jr.: U.S. Senator from

Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States. It borders Tennessee and North Carolina to the north, South Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Florida to the south, and Alabama to the west. Of the List of states a ...

from 1933 to 1971. He was a leader and founder of the Conservative Coalition. * Furnifold M. Simmons: U.S. Senator from

from 1901 to 1931, U.S. Representative from 1887 to 1889. *

: U.S. Senator from

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

from 2019 to 2025; independent since 2022 but still caucused with Democrats. * Ellison D. Smith: U.S. Senator from

from 1909 to 1944. Opposed the New Deal. * David I. Walsh: United States Senator from

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

from 1926 to 1947. He was an isolationist member of the America First Committee. In his later career he opposed "big government."

Governors

* Ross Barnett: Governor of Mississippi from 1960 to 1964. * John Connally: Governor of Texas from 1963 to 1969; became a Republican in 1973. * Dave Freudenthal: Governor of Wyoming from 2003 to 2011. * John Bel Edwards:

Governor of Louisiana The governor of Louisiana (; ) is the chief executive of the U.S. state government of Louisiana. The governor also serves as the commander in chief of the Louisiana National Guard. Republican Jeff Landry has held the office since January 8, ...

from 2016 to 2024. * Chauncey Sparks:

Governor of Alabama A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

from 1943 to 1947. He opposed the

. * Eugene Talmadge:

Governor of Georgia The governor of Georgia is the head of government of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the commander-in-chief of the state's Georgia National Guard, National Guard, when not in federal service, and Georgia State Defense Force, State Defense Fo ...

from 1933 to 1937 and 1941 to 1943, elected to fourth term in 1947, but died before taking office. * John Bell Williams: Governor of Mississippi from 1968 to 1972; Member of United States House of Representatives from Mississippi from 1947 to 1968. Although a Democrat, he endorsed Republicans

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...

and

for president. * Fielding L. Wright: Governor of Mississippi from 1946 to 1952; he was candidate for Vice-President of the United States on the Dixiecrat Party ticket in 1948.

Representatives

Current

* Sanford Bishop: United States Representative from

''(Since 1993)'' *

Jared Golden Jared Forrest Golden (born July 25, 1982) is an American politician and United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps veteran serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for Maine's 2nd congressional district since 2018 ...

: Member from

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

's 2nd congressional district since 2019. * Jim Costa: Member of the United States House of Representatives from California's (2013–) (2005–present), member of the California Senate from the 16th district (1995–2002), and member of the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Califor ...

from the 30th district (1978–1994). * Henry Cuellar: Member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas's 28th congressional district (2005–), 102nd Texas Secretary of State (2001), and member of the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...

(1987–2001). * Josh Gottheimer: Member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey (2017–), attorney, and writer. *

David Scott David Randolph Scott (born June 6, 1932) is an American retired test pilot and NASA astronaut who was the List of Apollo astronauts#People who have walked on the Moon, seventh person to walk on the Moon. Selected as part of the NASA Astronaut ...

: Member of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (2003–), Chair of the House Agriculture Committee (2021–), member of the Georgia State Senate from the 36th district (1983–2003), and member of the Georgia House of Representatives (1975–1983).

Former

* Dale Alford - U.S. Congressman from Little Rock, AR (1959-1965) * Gary Condit - U.S. Congressman from California (1989-2003), Blue Dog Democrat, lone House vote against expelling fellow U.S. representative James Traficant in 2002 - * William Jennings Bryan Dorn - U.S. Congressman from South Carolina's 3rd District (1951-1974), it was reported that he was given a "Statesman of the Republic" award from Liberty Lobby for his right-wing activities. * Ezekiel C. Gathings - U.S. Congressman from Arkansas 1st district (1939-1969) * Larry McDonald - U.S. Congressman from Georgia's 7th district (1975-1983) * Bill Lipinski - U.S. Congressman from Illinois (1983-2005), member of the Blue Dog Coalition of conservative Democrats * John E. Rankin - U.S. Congressman from Mississippi (1921-1953) * L. Mendel Rivers - U.S. Congressman from South Carolina (1941-1970), he was a member of the white Citizens' Councils. He supported Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond for president in 1948 and Republican

Dwight Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

in 1952. * Howard W. Smith - U.S. Congressman from Virginia's 8th District (1931 - 1967) (At large from (1933 - 1935). He was a member of the Conservative Coalition. * Gene Taylor - U.S. Congressman from Mississippi (1993-2010) * James Traficant - U.S. House of Representatives member from Ohio (1985-2002) * Clement Vallandigham - U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio 3rd District (1858-1863). He was a leader of the Copperhead faction of the Democratic Party.

References

External links

Right Democrat: a blog for conservative Democrats

Democratic Party (United States) Centrism in the United States Conservatism in the United States Right-wing populism in the United States Factions in the Democratic Party (United States) Political terminology of the United States