Richard Russell, a segregationist senator from Georgia, cautioned President Lyndon Johnson that enacting the Voting Rights Act would alienate the South from the Democratic Party for at least three decades, a prediction that proved to be a conservative assessment. Despite this warning, Johnson emphasized that the moral imperatives surrounding civil rights were more critical than the potential political fallout, showcasing a profound level of presidential leadership in the 20th century.

In the aftermath of the Voting Rights Act, southern states experienced a significant shift from Democratic to Republican allegiances, alongside a transition from overt to more clandestine practices of racial discrimination. This change marked a pivotal moment in American political history, illustrating the complex interplay between civil rights advancements and the evolving landscape of party politics in the South.