Progressive Politics

Byrd was a Democrat.

The Democratic party has always been an ideologically diverse big tent coalition. Before the civil rights bills, part of that coalition were the Dixiecrats - the traditional southern pro-segregation, pro-Jim Crow part of the Democrats.

Strom Thurmond, George Wallace and Byrd were originally all Dixiecrats.

Following the civil rights bill, the Dixiecrats stopped being a part of the Democratic coalition. When people talk about the party switch, that's what they're talking about. Strom Thurmond joined the Republican Party, George Wallace joined the newly formed American Independant party, and Byrd publically renounced the Dixiecrat platform and became a mainstream Democrat.

Byrd died in office, back in 2010, at the age of 92. We can't really say how much was an honest reconsideration of racism, and how much was just reading the political tea leaves and oppourtunism. But you can rest easy that the only kind of turning he can do anymore is metaphorically turning in his grave.