Gen Z Stopped the Red Wave

The GOP must contend with the threat of an entire generation of Americans who have little connection to traditional values.

Written by Hudson Crozier

What we now know: About 27 percent of voters aged 18-29 voted this November, marking the second-highest youth turnout of any midterm election in history. “Generation Z” favors the Democratic Party more than any other age group and was a key factor in many races Republicans lost.

What young voters care about: Exit polls show that youth voters were motivated by their support for progressive causes like abortion rights, climate policy, and gun control. Twenty-five-year-old candidate Maxwell Frost was elected in Florida as the first Gen-Z Congressmen in history after running on these issues.

A deep cultural shift: Polling data in recent years show that Gen-Z Americans are the most secular and openly LGBTQ of any living age group. They are also increasingly likely to have been raised by one parent and to believe that single-parent households are not “a bad thing for society.”

Big picture: The GOP has a massive political problem on its hands. While Republicans made gains among minority voters this year, they will have to address the rising threat of a politically active generation with little connection to traditional values.

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