Young voters are turning away from Trump, but that doesn’t mean Democrats have won them over. The big question heading into the midterms is whether young people will show up at all.
Here are five things I think you should know before next week.
The economy, war, corruption — those are young voters’ top three issues.
The gender gap is closing and the exit polls will likely reflect that, but it doesn’t mean young men are liberal.
In fact, young men are less likely to identify as liberal today than they were in 2024.
Youth voter turnout likely won’t be as high as we saw in 2018 and 2022 — but it could be higher in states like Texas, Michigan, Georgia and North Carolina thanks to candidates like James Talarico, Abdul El-Sayed, Jon Ossoff, and the organizing work of the North Carolina Democratic Party.
First-time voters were eight‼️ years old when Trump was first elected. They’ve never known politics without him.
This voting bloc is used to instant gratification and looking for results. They want candidates who promise immediate change — and are looking squarely at policies for renters, affordable healthcare amid a dismal job market, and childcare for young families. But they don’t hear either party talking about their economic outlook in a way that actually resonates. That matters.