The emergence of three rapidly growing Sunbelt states as pivotal swing contests in presidential elections may be one of the most unexpected developments in recent American politics. …
If Republicans can’t hold North Carolina (with 15 Electoral College votes) and recapture at least Florida (with 29 EC votes), if not Virginia (with 13 EC votes) as well, they will likely face a very difficult path to an Electoral College majority.
With this piece, Next America begins a series of articles–in cooperation with the States of Change: Demographics and Democracy Project–exploring the states likely to pick the next president. CONT.
Ronald Brownstein, National Journal