red state

[ red steyt ]

/ ˈrɛd ˌsteɪt /

noun U.S. Politics.

a state of the U.S. that usually votes Republican.

Nearby words

red spruce, red square, red squill, red squirrel, red star, red state, red stuff, red supergiant, red tag, red tai, red tape

Compare blue state, swing state.

Origin of red state

with reference to the color used on maps in televised coverage of the 2000 U.S. presidential election to show the states won by the Republican candidate

Examples from the Web for red state

It got particular traction with red-state Democrats who had never been enthusiastic supporters of closing Guantanamo.
Congress Cooperates, Obama Pushes Hard, and Closing Gitmo Has a Chance|Daniel Klaidman|December 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Why did he, a red-state senator who famously took a rifle to the climate bill, take this fight on in the first place?
Joe Manchin's Model for Red-State Democrats|Michael Tomasky|April 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The president was oblivious to red-state Democrats facing tough elections.
Memo: The Aaron Sorkin Model of Political Discourse Doesn't Actually Work|Megan McArdle|April 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Before the launch, a Daily insider told New York Magazine that the goal was not to create “a red-state device.”
Why Did The Daily Die? The View From Inside the Collapse|Michael Moynihan|December 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST

And thanks to the religious right, the GOP lost two red-state Senate seats it could have won.
The GOP’s Last Stand Against Gay Marriage|David Sessions|November 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST