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During the 1948 presidential election, southern Democrats, known as 'Dixiecrats,' chose to leave the party because of its civil rights policy. It had evolved from its earlier pro-slavery leanings to become more race friendly, and the Dixiecrats didn't like that. They wanted to start a new party that focused on states rights. The Progressives didn't bolt from the party, in fact, they were a separate party, when formed in 1946. The would eventually merge with the Democratic party.
They were known as "Dixiecrats" a portmanteau of Dixie (the South) and Democrat (they split from the Democrat party)
because southern white segregationist factions of the democratic party switched over to the republican party over civil and voting rights issues. the "dixiecrats" as they were known, first left to form their own party, the "states rights democrats" and ultimately reorganized into the republican party. the electorate followed accordingly.
Governor (and long-time senator) Strom Thurmond of South Carolina was the Dixiecrat (or as it was formally known, States' Rights Democratic Party) candidate. Governor Fielding Wright of Mississippi was his running mate.
the South had more power in Congress