Louisiana v. Callais · ¶81

Second, a full-blown two-party system has emerged in the States where § 2 suits are most common. Gingles arose in the context of a one-party system in which black and white voters had starkly different voting patterns despite their affliation within the same party. 478 U. S., at 59. In the area involved in Gingles, an overwhelming majority of white voters did not vote for any black candidate in the Democratic party primary elections, which for all practical purposes selected the candidates who would ultimately obtain office. Ibid. And in general elections, white voters in heavily Democratic areas often ranked black candidates last among Democrats. Ibid. Such intra-party disparities showed that black voters had less opportunity to elect their preferred candidate because of their race, not because of their partisan affliation.

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