As traditional media outlets grapple with the difficult task of attracting young viewers, conservative political parties around the globe are facing the same challenges when it comes to engaging millennial and Gen Z support.
In the United States, some Republicans are warning that their poor results with voters under the age of 30, could become a serious threat to the future of the party.
America’s youngest generations voted overwhelmingly Democratic in the 2022 national midterm elections.
Analysis by CIRCLE found 71 per cent of women between 18-29 voted for a U.S Democratic House candidate, along with more than half of men the same age (53%).
It’s a trend that is replicated in Australia, with the conservative coalition struggling with its brand across the country.
Every Australian state, bar one, has a left-wing government in power, while federally, young voters have slashed support for the conservative party to historic lows.
GOP Minnesota State Chair David Hann said it is an issue his party is concerned about heading into the 2024 presidential elections.
“Of course, we are worried about attracting younger voters,” he said. “But as people get older and more mature, they realize they can’t afford to buy a home and they are fed up with cancel culture and they come to us.”
DFL Minnesota Chair Ken Martin believes one of the main reasons young people turned to the democrats at the 2022 elections is because of the abortion issue.
“Youth prioritized abortion rights in the wake of Roe v. Wade and so did the Democratic party,” he said. “Republicans are not campaigning on what matters to young people, including climate change and LGTBQI issues. At some point, if they don’t appeal to young voters, they are going to die out.”
Hann said while voters tend to favor the left when they are younger, their political views can change, and they become more conservative with age.
But some Republicans said the party needs to act now to appeal to younger generations, with Gen Z and millennials estimated to become a majority of the electorate in just six years.
“We’re going to lose a heck of a lot of elections if we wait until these people become Republicans,” a GOP Consultant John Brabender told The New York Times in January.
