As pairs of states go, it's difficult to get more similar than the Dakotas, at least geographically: large, rural states with large Native populations and whose population centers are oriented on the eastern border of the states.
Politically as well, they are two states where the federal/state level divide has lasted a long time: in North Dakota, from 1987-2011, all three members of Congress were Democrats, even as the state hasn't had a Democratic Governor since, 1993. In South Dakota, Democrats haven't elected a Governor of their own since 1979, but from 2004-2011, 2/3 statewide federal officeholders were Democrats.
Now, political realignment has found the Dakotas. Only 2/6 federal officeholders are now Democrats, and that number will likely be 1/6 after the 2014 elections. It's getting bleaker by the year to be a Democrat in the great plains.
So I wanted to show how the Democrats and Republicans could get 1 Dakota each. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: East and West Dakota.
Read More