The Louisiana Democratic Party is the affiliate of the national Democratic Party of the United States in the state of Louisiana. Dominated by the planter elite through much of the 19th century, the party was historically prominent in politics since before the American Civil War. After struggling to regain power through Reconstruction, after the Republican Party became competitive due to support by most African Americans and many other Unionists, the party used violence and fraud to regain control of the state. Since the official end of reconstruction in 1877, the Democratic Party won 31 of 35 elections for governor.