2018 Dixie Presidential Election (Divided States of America)

The 2018 Dixie Presidential Election was the third quadrennial presidential election in the Federation of Dixie, held on November 2, 2018. The National Christian ticket of Alabama Senator Richard Shelby and North Florida Governor Rick Scott defeated the United Labor ticket of Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and political activist Stacy Abrams.

The election was the third straight victory for the NCP, and the first election in which the Atlanta Capital District participated. Issues of the election mainly centered on domestic policy, while also involving foreign matters, such as Dixie's membership in SoBlock, which Gillum pledged to withdraw from. Shelby supported SoBlock, and domestically, he was mainly on the defensive, supporting the nation's ban on abortion, homosexuality, and recreational drugs.

However, he also pledged to crack down on crime and increase defense spending for the Federal Armed Forces. Gillum campaigned on greater healthcare spending and higher taxes on wealthy, while also portraying himself as a Christian to appeal to the mostly Baptist population of Dixie. The election was the first in which debates were held, with Shelby being projected as the winner of both.

On election day, Shelby won handily, with a 14-point margin of victory, carrying every state except South Florida. The election was also a so-called "Blue Wave" as it saw the NCP gain more seats in both chambers of Congress, maintaining their supermajority in Congress and most states. Gillum, meanwhile, carried one state and the Atlanta Capital District, while also costing his party many seats in both the Congress and state legislatures.

Shelby's victory was the third in a row for the NCP. It also caused the ULP Schism of 2019 soon after.

Background


Article Three of the Dixie Federal Constitution limits presidents to two four-year terms in office. President Haley Barbour, a National Christian from Mississippi, was thus ineligible to seek a third term in office. His second term expired on January 10, 2019, at noon.

Primaries
With the term of the popular president Barbour up, the NCP's 2018 Primaries had the most candidates in Dixie's short history. Rick Scott of North Florida, Jeb Bush of North Florida, Bob Riley of Alabama, Richard Shelby of Alabama, and Roger Wicker of Mississippi were soon the front runners.

Primaries
The ULP's 2018 primaries hosted a slew of candidates, including 2014 nominee Roy Barnes, Georgia state senator Jason Carter, former Alabama Representative Parker Griffith, Tuscaloosa mayor Walt Maddox, Florida Representative Charlie Crist, Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum, and political activist Stacy Abrams. Early on, Maddox, Griffith, and Crist were seen as potential frontrunners, but Gillum made a major turnaround in the second debate, eventually beating out Crist for third place.

By March, Barnes, Carter, and Griffith had dropped out, leaving Maddox, Crist, Gillum, and Abrams. All four stayed in until the convention. Abrams came in dead last, followed by Crist, Maddox, and narrowly, Gillum. Gillum eventually selected Abrams as his running mate.

Campaign
The campaign was the dirtiest and most competitive thus far, with heavy mudslinging, mostly from Gillum. Shelby's campaign portrayed Gillum as a radical anti-family anti-Dixie socialist, while Gillum attempted to characterize Shelby as racist, which backfired tremendously.