The purpose of this article is to examine the potential impact of
Hispanics on the electoral geography of the southern United States
after the 2010 decennial census. Hispanics are the largest and
fastest-growing minority group in the United States today. In
addition to traditional Hispanic destinations such as Florida and
Texas, many of the areas experiencing the most rapid growth in
Hispanic population are southern states such as Georgia, North
Carolina, and Virginia. Geographic information systems are used to
determine where majority-minority and influential districts are
likely to emerge in southern states. We argue that although the
Latino population has increased significantly over the past decade,
the proportion of Latinos living in southern states remains
relatively low in comparison to the general population. Therefore,
no new majority-minority or influence districts will emerge in
Louisiana, Mississippi, or Tennessee. Majority-minority and
influence districts are likely to emerge in Arkansas, Georgia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia at the state and local
levels, but not at the U.S. congressional level. Texas and Florida
are the only southern states where new majority-minority and
influence districts are likely to emerge at the U.S., state, and
local levels after the 2010 decennial census.