With my university starting up again this might be the last map I make in awhile, anyway enjoy the thirteenth installment in my alternate American election series.
Metropotamia
Alta California
North Carolina
New Jersey
Adams
Alabama
Rhode Island
Sequoyah
Assenisipia
East Florida
Tennessee
Kansas
Dakota is a rather unique state, being the second most rural state in the Union it is dominated by non-urban interests. The state also has the fourth largest native population, which is also the state's only significant minority with the second largest minority group, Hispanics, not even breaking 2%.
Ever since its creation Dakota has been a swing state, swinging at first between the Republicans and Populists, then the Republicans and National Unionists, and finally the Republicans and Populists once again. However ever since the Conservative Revolution the Libertarian party has been a growing influence in the state, representing the rise of rural conservatism. Despite this the majority of of rural citizens remain ideologically center of left due to the state's large mining industry and its relatively atheistic attitude towards religion leaving the state devoid of the Constitution party. The state has also been devoid of the Labor party ever since 1996, when loses forced the local branch to merge into the Populist party.
While the left united the right divided with the Libertarian party gaining more and more strength as it advocated against the corrupt GOP, claiming itself to be the only true party for liberty. Even though the GOP still does hold control over the major cities outside of them it's support has become more and more abysmal by the year. After the Second Great Depression it had been brought down to under 40 representatives, and while it did rebound slightly in 2012 ever since then it has been in a downwards spiral.
As such the election of 2016 was much like that of the past three cycles, a close race between the conservatives and populists, with the Populist party managing to pull through nonetheless.
Government:
Populists - The populists have been a major force in the state ever since the state was admitted in 1891. While the party did end up joining up with the National Union party in 1932 when the party broke after the conservative revolution the party has regained its position. With a mixture of socially conservative and economically leftist positions the party is the most right-wing of the main three social democratic parties in America. However with the state of Dakota being very nonreligious in comparison to its neighbors the state party is one of the most left-wing branches of the Populists, becoming the first, and so far only, Great Plains state to legalize civil unions for LGBT couples in 2014.
First People's Party - Started in 1972 after the Conservative Revolution, it is the main Native American party which represent centrist native interests, such as cracking down on alcoholism, promoting education, and ensuring the continuation of native culture. Given their centrist nature they were rather easy for the populists to convince to join government, who will not blatantly disregard native rights like the Republicans do.
Opposition:
Republicans- The main urban party of Dakota, they represent urban conservatives and businessmen who deal in the state. Due to the rise of the Libertarian party their support among rural conservatives has dropped tremendously to the point where their influence beyond major cities is next to none.
Libertarians - A rural counterpart to the Republican party, they are to the right of the GOP economically while slightly to the left on social issues.
Ecological Native Alliance - Founded by the national Green party, they are the left-wing Native American party, opposing the oil pipelines which the Populists and FPP have built on native lands. While not anywhere near as large as the FPP they have been gaining strength in Dakota ever since the Standing Rock oil spill of 2015 left thousands of hectares of pristine wilderness irrevocably damaged.
Credit for the basemap goes to Chicxulub.