OPINION:
Want to know why Republicans got creamed on Tuesday? Younger voters.
An exit poll conducted for several networks by SSRS shows that voters ages 18 to 29 voted for Democrats in the House at a rate of 72%. Just 25% voted for Republicans. Young men moved the most. In 2024, The Associated Press reported that 56% of young men voted for President Trump. In 2026, they moved to 65% for Democrats in the House and 32% for Republicans.
Young women moved even further left, with 70% siding with Democrats.
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Why? Polling conducted over the past few years by Young America’s Foundation shows that young people are most concerned about the cost of living. The next issue is the economy, and then there is a huge drop-off. Young people are worried about paying bills. They are scared that they might not be able to purchase a home.
Two years ago, many of them — particularly young men — gave Mr. Trump a chance because they were upset with high costs and the economy under President Biden. Too many of them have not seen major improvement in their plight during the past two years. They blame the people in charge.
The war is obviously a major factor in the losses, but largely only for reasons that affect the top concerns of young people. They rightly believe that the war drove up gas prices and, with them, the costs of other things such as food and housing.
They are also upset that politicians seemed more interested in issues other than the cost of living. Talk about the war, ballrooms or just about anything else made them feel that elected leaders did not get it.
Clearly, a long-term issue with radical indoctrination is going on at colleges across the country. That explains part of the numbers with younger voters. We have to do more to reach students at younger ages and convey a stronger message about our conservative values.
Yet a significant number of young people do not have a strict ideology. They want people who hear and understand their concerns.
Our polling shows that most college students identify not as liberal or conservative, but as moderates. That does not mean they are political moderates. Rather, I believe that most of them think the radicals on campus are crazy but do not know enough to be comfortable being a conservative. We have to tell them the truth.
Going forward, we must do a better job of explaining that more government is likely to worsen their plight. Whether it is healthcare, housing, higher education or any number of other issues, government involvement is already rigging the system to drive up costs.
The median age for a first-time homebuyer in America is 40, according to the National Association of Realtors. When I got out of school, it was 30. Many young people are losing hope of living their piece of the American dream.
Government regulations, spending and debt are major factors in the rising cost of housing. Similarly, government regulations, a massive bureaucracy and a lack of transparency drive up healthcare costs. Increases in federal student loan assistance encourage colleges and universities to raise tuition, thus creating the student loan crisis in America.
Government is not the solution; it is the problem.
We must make the case for free markets. We have to show young people how that will make it easier to live and thrive in America.
Democrats had big majorities in the 1970s after Watergate. Ronald Reagan ran for president and won in 1980 because he listened to the concerns of everyday Americans and offered solutions that worked. He carried the young vote in both elections. That gives us hope for the future.
By 2028, members of Generation Z, born from 1997, and millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, will make up more than half of the voting population. They already had a major impact on the 2026 elections and will play a significant role in electing our next president.
We cannot wait two years to make inroads with young people. The time to strike is now.
In the coming days, Young America’s Foundation will announce the details of a new plan. We need others to step up too. All our efforts should begin by listening to the concerns of young people. Then we should show them how market-based ideas better address those concerns than government-driven socialism.
There is no plan B. If we lose freedom here, there is nowhere else to turn to around the planet. That is why we must fight and win.
• Scott Walker is a columnist for The Washington Times. He was the 45th governor of Wisconsin and launched a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He lives in Milwaukee and is the proud owner of a 2003 Harley-Davidson Road King. He can be reached at swalker@washingtontimes.com.
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