Politics 3 min read By Arthur Ellington
Young Trump voters switch to Democrats over economy and Iran war
Some Gen Z voters who backed Donald Trump in 2024 swung to Democrats in the midterms, citing cost of living, the Iran war and what they describe as a betrayal on the economy.
Some young Americans who backed Donald Trump in 2024 switched sides in this year's midterm elections, pointing to the economy and the war with Iran as the reasons for their change of allegiance. Voters under 30 swung sharply towards Democrats across the cycle, with an AP poll finding that about seven in ten backed Democrats in House races.
Cost of living was the dominant concern. A Harvard Youth Poll found that 91 per cent of young voters said it mattered to them. Housing has been a particular pressure: the median home price has risen by 30 per cent between 2019 and 2024, while household income for those under 40 has risen by 9 per cent over the same period. Recent graduates face a tough labour market too, with unemployment among them standing at 5.6 per cent this summer, above the overall rate. The Iran war has added to these strains by pushing up gasoline prices and inflation this year.
The results were a significant setback for the Republican Party. Democrat James Talarico beat Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race, and if confirmed would be the first Texas Democrat to win that seat since 1988. In the state, Democrat Gina Hinojosa also unseated Governor Greg Abbott. Nationally, Democrats flipped seven Republican-held Senate seats, taking control of the chamber. The flips included Iowa, Ohio and South Carolina, while Democrat Adam Hamilton defeated Kansas Senator Roger Marshall. The Alaska Senate race between Sullivan and Peltola remained too close to call as of Thursday.
Several voters interviewed described their decision as a protest rather than an endorsement. One Ohio voter said he backed Democrats to warn against foreign wars, not out of any preference for the party. An analyst cautioned that Democrats should not read the results as a mandate, noting that an AP poll found the Democratic Party only modestly more popular than the Republicans.
Corruption ranked second only to cost of living among young voters in the Harvard poll. Concern about corporate power cut across party lines, with 81 per cent of young Democrats, 67 per cent of independents and 60 per cent of young Republicans expressing it. Some voters blamed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed in July 2025, for cuts affecting their lives.
Individual accounts illustrate the financial pressure. Ryan Wharton, a 28-year-old Texas voter who rarely votes, said he relies on coin-exchange cash for groceries. A 28-year-old budtender in Alaska said she lacks health insurance and pointed to state Medicaid and school cuts. A 24-year-old organiser in Washington, who grew up conservative, said homelessness pushed him towards communist politics. Several young voters describe their finances as surviving rather than building, with no clear path to stability.
Source: fortune.com
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