For years, the state Democratic Party was rooted in the flat, sandy soil to Raleigh’s east. The “Eastern North Carolina machine” was the stuff of legend. It won elections, it raised money, it invested in education and occasionally gorged on pork (fiscally and nutritionally). Then it died.

But a few years after the collapse of that machine, a new geographical base has congealed. That would be the region built by Wilson County native Jim Hunt: The Research Triangle.

RTP’s emergence as the Democratic stronghold was not sudden. In 2008, Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville was the only market that Barack Obama won outright. Kay Hagan dominated the region against Elizabeth Dole; Elaine Marshall massively outperformed her statewide margin there two years later, and even Walter Dalton won two out of the three core counties. By 2014, RTP Democrats had become strong enough that Hagan chose to partner with the Wake County Democratic Party rather than the then-troubled NCDP.

Now the Research Triangle status has been consummated. Both the House and Senate minority leaders hail from this region. So do their candidates for Attorney General, US Senate, Treasurer, Labor Commissioner and Lieutenant Governor. Prominent executives have emerged as new donors. Asheville may be the anti-HB2 movement’s spiritual home, RTP provides its demographic muscle. Gary Pearce summed it all up like this: Downtown Raleigh is “the epicenter of the North Carolina Democratic Party today.”

Having a geographic base confers significant advantages. It provides a centralized core of voters who can be turned out cheaply. By consolidating one full region, Democrats force Republicans to scrounge up a more loosely distributed coalition, a trickier and more expensive task. Dominance of RTP gives the Democrats access to the talent pipeline of ten local universities. (Importantly, the region houses several HBCUs, providing a recruiting ground for the vital task of developing more African-American leaders.) And winning elections in the area serves as “practice” for appealing to the growing number of suburban voters statewide.

The Democrats’ “New Down East” must take center stage this year. PPP’s newest poll shows RTP to be primed for a Democratic tidal wave. Pat McCrory’s approval rating there is an astonishing 24%-71%. HB2 is a recipient of massive opposition, exposing the local Republicans who voted for it to devastating attacks. The Wake suburbs are totally inhospitable to Trump. All of these advantages can–and must–be harnessed by an intense turnout effort throughout the area.

Democrats shouldn’t get ahead of themselves and pretend they don’t need rural areas. But they should equally be aware that they have built a new base, one that could power them to victory this year and in future elections.

Alexander H. Jones

Alexander Jones is an original contributor to PoliticsNC.