Democrats and the Youth Vote
In November’s midterm, Democrat Cheri Beasley lost her Senate race to Republican Ted Budd. Republicans gained a supermajority in the NC State Senate, and they fell short by only a single seat of securing a supermajority in the NC State House. Sadly, with less than ⅓ of registered voters aged 18-40 turning out, NC Democrats failed to mobilize young voters. The turnout of registered minority voters in that age group was even more disappointing with only ⅕ of registered Black and Hispanic voters under 41 casting ballots.
Looking at the country overall, 27% of young people (aged 18-29) turned out in the 2022 midterm elections, making up 13% of the overall electorate, according to day-after estimates from the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. If young voter participation had increased to even just 50%, it could have been a much better night for Democrats, possibly allowing them to have kept control of the U.S. House of Representatives, and not just the U.S. Senate.
According to political scientist Michael Bitzer, 333,000 fewer North Carolina Democrats voted in this year’s midterm than voted in 2018, dropping from 52.9% in 2018 to just over 50% in 2022. Meanwhile, the North Carolina Republican turnout resembled 2018 levels, 58.4% in 2022 and just under 60% in 2018. Had this year’s turnout mirrored 2018’s, Ted Budd’s 121,737 vote lead over Cheri Beasley would likely have vanished, and down-ballot races followed suit.
If Democrats want to gain seats in the North Carolina state legislature and send more Democrats to represent them in Washington, they will need to make a more concerted effort to reach out to young voters. When young voters vote, they typically vote Democratic. In the recent midterm election, they favored Democrats by a 28 point margin.
As an engaged Gen Z voter, I know that young Democrats share not only concerns about the climate crisis, income inequality, access to abortion, and LGBTQ+ rights, but they are also media savvy enough to distinguish the fresh, energetic appeal from the tired, worn message. When Democratic candidates talk about so-called “kitchen table” issues such as healthcare costs and the economy, it can turn young people off. It feels like we are being fed something so clearly scripted by a political consultant. Candidates should shift their messages from the typical, consultant-scripted messages about “kitchen table” issues to more personal messages that emphasize to young people why these issues are so important and how they affect our lives and futures.
Choosing candidates in line with the views of the voters in their districts—progressive in the more urban parts of the state and moderates in more rural districts—and who are willing to engage young people and champion issues and beliefs attractive to them is essential to win and make progress. They need to be Democratic candidates who are authentic, passionate, and skilled communicators eager to reach out to young voters and explain how their policies will better the lives of this group of constituents who can help them achieve electoral success.
For statewide races, take Raphael Warnock’s for example. Senator Warnock (D-GA) just beat Hershel Walker (R-GA) in the December runoff. Warnock did not do this by just running to the middle of the electorate; he did it, in part, by driving home his support for progressive policies. Yes, Warnock emphasized his support for cutting consumer costs, a policy most Americans support, given rising inflation, but he was also full-throated in his support of more progressive issues like climate change and reproductive justice. Warnock recruited Maxwell Frost (D-FL), the newly elected first Gen-Z member of Congress, as a campaign surrogate to demonstrate his dedicated interest in youth voters’ priorities. Both these strategies proved successful for Warnock, with the Georgia Senator winning reelection by 2.8% in the historically conservative peach state of GA. Warnock was also aided by the yearslong efforts of GA grassroots organizers, something that the NC Democratic Party could invest in as well to increase their chances of electoral success.
If Warnock can pull this off in Georgia, a state with demographics similar to North Carolina’s and even more restrictive voting laws than ours, then North Carolina Democrats can employ the same strategy. With North Carolina’s growing population and growing political importance, it is urgent that North Carolina Democrats take these lessons from Georgia.
Engaging College Dems chapters will be essential. Recruiting candidates who actually visit the colleges in their districts and demonstrate and solicit young people’s opinions could lead to more motivated Gen-Z voting blocs. More engaged and better funded college chapters at places such as the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Queen's University, and Davidson College could have helped to make up for this drop-off in turnout.
Young Dems across the state agree. Claire Brennan, co-founder and co-president of UNC for Cheri Beasley suggested paying college organizers, dedicating more funds to their chapters, and strengthening chapters in key areas like Mecklenburg County.
“Young Democrats need to be treated like valuable members of the party, where our voices are heard and valued and we are given opportunities to be in the room when decisions are made,” said Megan Wagner, the former President of UNC Young Democrats. “The best people to organize youth voters are youth activists, but without meaningful and intentional investment in those voters, and without an understanding of what turns out young voters, we will not turn out at the levels we need to.”
NC Democrats have a lot of work cut out for them. A more engaged and motivated Gen-Z voting bloc could greatly lighten that workload.