Democratic-leaning urban areas in states that otherwise vote Republican is an increasingly important phenomenon that will shape American politics for decades to come. The tensions between blue metros and red states not only animate the divisions between red and blue America, but also affect election outcomes and policy agendas at the national, state, and local levels.
What are the origins of the blue metros, red states concept? How has COVID-19 and the Trump presidency reinforced the differences between the Sun Belt and the Rust Belt? How are suburbs shifting the divide between red and blue? What do these tensions mean for the 2020 presidential election and beyond?