Republicans' youth voter problem

Young Voters Abandoning Republicans Ahead of Midterms, Poll Finds

A recent national survey of over 1,000 young Americans has found that economic concerns are driving 18- to 34-year-olds back to the left, with 52 percent planning to vote Democratic in November, compared to 19 percent for Republicans.

Conducted by the nonpartisan Generation Lab, the poll reveals a significant base problem for the GOP, with only 58 percent of young Republicans saying they will vote for their party, and nearly a third selecting "neither" or "won't vote". In contrast, 85 percent of young Democrats intend to show up for their party at the ballot box.

Deep discontent with the state of the economy is driving anger at the party in power, with 81 percent of young Americans rating U.S. economic conditions as bad or terrible. The younger the age bracket, the more optimism diminishes.

President Donald Trump shoulders most of the blame among respondents, with 41 percent who rate the economy negatively naming him as the top culprit, plus 9 percent who select congressional Republicans. However, 31 percent finger corporate greed/large companies, while only 6 percent blame Joe Biden or congressional Democrats.

According to Cyrus Beschloss, Generation Lab's founder and CEO, "We tie this really closely to what people can see and feel and touch in terms of their own personal economic situation... Saying that affordability is a 'line of bullshit' is definitely not helping — to the extent that young people are clued into that."

The survey also finds mass blowback to the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, with 77 percent of young Americans saying the U.S. made the wrong decision in striking Iran, and 75 percent saying they disapprove or strongly disapprove of Trump's handling of the military action.

Republicans are keenly aware of voters' cost-of-living and economic concerns, but they argue that they are positioned to sway Americans with a message focused on lower government spending, new tax breaks, and blaming Democrats. The GOP is also addressing bad economic feelings head-on by telling voters that they are cleaning up messes created by Democrats.

Young voters' top concern is affordability, and we've been beating the drum on that issue all cycle. Many don't think they will ever be able to buy a home, or are graduating out of high school and college with not nearly the same kind of opportunities that their parents had.

Looking beyond the midterms, the Generation Lab also asked young Americans about the 2028 presidential race, with Democrats like Kamala Harris and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) leading the pack, at 31 and 23 percent respectively.