Young peopl6 traditionally vote for Democrats in elections, but a conservative shift among Gen Z voters helped President Donald Trump secure the keys to the White House in November 2024. If this trend is sustained, partisan realignment could hamper the Democrat's chance of success in future elections and bolster the Republicans instead, reshaping American politics.
Young Americans are supporting the Republican Party in greater numbers, a new poll has found, highlighting a large divide among people aged under 30.
According to a new Yale Youth Poll, a survey affiliated with the Yale Institution for Social and Political Studies, voters aged 18 to 21 lean Republican by 11.7 points when asked who they would support in the 2026 Congressional elections, while voters aged 22 to 29 favored Democrats by 6.4 points.
Newsweek
Political parties ought to take note. Young men voted 41 per cent Trump in 2020 and 56 per cent in 2024. The Gen Z’s voting power is worth watching. It is projected to be half the US electorate by 2028.
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Gen Z’s impact depends on engagement with social media but they are alert and critical of misinformation. Distrust in government (32%, Pew 2024), media and corporations is high. This fuels independent thinking. World of Statistics (2024) say Gen Z prefer YouTube (93%), Instagram (78%), TikTok (62%), Snapchat (65%), Pinterest (45%) and Reddit (44%) platforms. Facebook is least trusted (17%).
According to a PYMNTS Intelligence report (2024), Gen Z turn to social media platforms for valuable financial advice with TikTok leading the way.
Polls before the 2023 election, such as the Guardian Essential poll, do not provide specific data on Gen Z voting preferences or behaviours, but do offer insights. It shows a surprising shift among NZ young voters: 18–34 year olds, including Gen Z. Only 20 per cent support Labour, compared to nearly 40 per cent supporting the centre-right National Party. It suggests a move away from Labour’s dominance. The left-leaning Talbot Mills Polling (2024), while not providing statistics, predictably indicates, unlike global trends, that the NZ Gen Z men shift to the right is not significant.
Vote Compass data from the 2023 election analysed by Victoria University’s Lara Greaves identified a ‘very conservative’ subset within Gen Z in NZ.
Fifty-six per cent of NZ Gen Z cite economic issues as a top concern in a 2024 Deloitte survey.
We have heard for a few years that young men in particular are attracted to Jordan Peterson’s sharp shooting, but sensitive, lectures, talks and writings. It was obvious when Peterson visited Auckland: there was a predominance of well-groomed young men in attendance.
Has the tide turned?
You’re not imagining things; something has shifted. A lot of men are waking up to the feeling that the ground rules changed while no one was watching, and now they’re expected to play a game where the goalposts keep moving. And you’re right: it’s exhausting being told your part of the problem when you’ve barely had a chance to define who you are. But here’s the truth that gets missed in all the noise. Strength isn’t about being right louder than the other side. It’s about building something better than either side ever offered.
Most men don’t want to dominate. Well, maybe recreationally, but that's a discussion for another Sub. They want to contribute. But not to a system that constantly cuts their legs out from under them. The path forward isn’t about going backwards; it’s about designing forward with people who are actually willing to carry responsibility with you. Not performatively. Not ideologically. But functionally. People who want to build something real.
The truth is, the anger Gen Z is feeling? That’s the signal. The fire underneath it isn’t hate; it’s hunger. And the right outlet isn’t more commentary. It’s creation. Brotherhood. Structure. A life you respect. Because if the world isn’t going to give us that, we build it ourselves. And, interestingly, there are a fair number of women who want that exact same thing... for the same reasons.
Comment by a young man on Reddit recently.
It appears that graduating post Covid-19 has significantly shaped and impacted Gen Z’s political and social views. Some would even go as far as dividing this age group into two: those graduating pre Covid and those graduating post Covid, as the difference is marked.
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Economic hardships, disrupted education, prolonged lockdowns, social isolation, vaccine mandates, tight job markets and youth unemployment may have moved Gen Z towards more right-wing parties to better themselves. As Peterson says, young men attend his talks not for political reasons, but to turn their lives around.
Young men have figured out if they want to succeed in life, left-wing parties may not be the answer. Perhaps at last something positive is emerging from the Covid-19 horror.
Eliora is a fourth-generation Kiwi is a conservative voter and has worked in health. This article was first published HERE
1 comment:
I have young adult children who tell me they have been at the frontline of woke ideology. They have had enough of it. Sadly our generation of parents didn't realise what was going on until too late.
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