The economy overtook abortion rights as the top issue for Gen Z voters in 2024
By Genna Sobiech/Kent State NewsLab
The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University found that among women voters between the ages of 18 and 29, support for Donald Trump increased 8 percentage points — from 33% to 41% — between the 2020 and 2024 elections.
Trump gained even more support from young male voters. Tufts University’s CIRCLE found that Trump’s support from young men increased from 41% in 2020 to 56% in 2024, an increase of 15 percentage points.
This came as a surprise to some, as reproductive rights appeared to be a major issue for young voters before the presidential races. CIRCLE reported that polling in the 2022 midterms showed that young people ages 18-29 said abortion was the biggest issue influencing how they were voting.
“It’s not surprising for Gen Z to have [abortion] in the very top of their voting issues because it’s more directly impactful, arguably, for a generation of both men and women who will have more of their reproductive lifespan under this standard,” said Kelly Dittmar, director of research at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
However, polling after the 2024 vote showed that the economy ended up being young voters’ top priority.
“The cost of education, especially for those who are already dealing with student loans — I do think that’s a common and particularly targeted economic issue we see from that generation that is different from older generations,” Dittmar said.
Kent State University student Marissa Meakin, 21, who voted for Trump, said that affordable housing was one of her main voting issues, along with border control, health and the Food and Drug Administration.
She also said young voters may have leaned toward Trump’s “realness.”
“Yes, some people would say he doesn’t have the best personality, but at least he’s not spewing a bunch of fake information,” Meakin said. “He’s showing you who he is, for the most part, and a lot of people our age are more driven to that realness than the typical political facade that people tend to put on.”
She said she doesn’t think Trump will back a national abortion ban.
“I think more people started to realize that he truly isn’t for a national abortion ban and that he wanted it to be left to the states for the people to vote on what they want their abortion laws to be,” said. “That was just one of the things that I think drove more people toward him, and how real he is.”
NPR found that, since 2008, winning Democratic presidential candidates have received a minimum of 60% of the youth vote. In this election, Harris received only 54% of votes from those under the age of 30.
“I was shocked, but so incredibly disappointed because the number of people that voted for him is mind-boggling to me,” Kent State University student Sohaela Rojas said. “I’m feeling very defeated. We’re strapping in for four years of insanity.”
Rojas was particularly disappointed by Trump’s gains in support from young women.
“I am very surprised that so many women would vote for a man who has no respect for women or their rights,” Rojas said. “That doesn’t make any sense to me.”
This story was originally published by the Kent State NewsLab, a collaborative news outlet publishing journalism by Kent State students.