… As the Democrats’ regional fortunes have waned and Republicans have taken over statehouses and congressional delegations, the cultural and ideological divisions of the so-called Dixiecrats are now found under a different party banner. With the Republican nomination tantamount to victory in the general election, incumbents are increasingly facing primaries, the contests are growing more heated, and interest groups are taking sides in a way that underscores the primacy of the nominating process. …
Southern Republican primaries have also become forums for what the party establishment sees as purity tests and what the right believes are opportunities to hold leaders accountable for their fealty, or lack thereof, to conservative principles. CONT.
Jonathan Martin, New York Times