Monticello Live

Former Monticello resident and UAM faculty member John C. Davis will speak about his new book, From Blue to Red: The Rise of the GOP in Arkansas, at the Monticello Branch Library, on Friday, November 8, at 5 p.m. Davis is a teaching associate professor of political science and executive director of the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

Over the last decade, Arkansas has gone from one of the most Democratic states to one of the most Republican. The Democratic Party’s hold on the state’s politics was an ongoing political trend in the state for well over 100 years. The gains made by Republicans in Arkansas, over the last several election cycles, represent a historic shift in the state. Davis’s book From Blue to Red: The Rise of the GOP in Arkansas provides a rigorous yet accessible study of this partisan shift, tracking changes in voter preference at the top of the ticket in the 1960s, generational replacement in Arkansas’ political power structure in the 1990s, and the emergence of a more nationalized and polarized electorate in the 2000s, among other developments. From Blue to Red is a fascinating look at how Arkansas went from being one of the country’s most solidly Democratic states to one of its most ardently Republican in just a few years.

Regarding the book, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said, “From Blue to Red: The Rise of the GOP in Arkansas is the definitive book on the modern history of the Arkansas GOP. By researching and writing this history, Dr. Davis has critiqued the key ingredients for the rise of any political movement and then dramatically laid out the challenges of the future for the Arkansas GOP. Dr. Davis writes in a way that both informs and inspires those interested in politics, and then makes one think about the future and what it will bring. This book will be enjoyed and studied for generations into the future.”

In addition to his presentation, Davis will be available to sign books and have copies for sale.

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