Why Republicans Are Losing Gen Z
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Is Gen Z really overwhelmingly liberal? These two young GOP leaders say it’s not that simple.
Almost 70 percent of Generation Z voted for Democrats in November’s midterm elections. As the years go by, Republicans are getting a smaller and smaller slice of the youth vote.
In our last episode, we looked at why Democrats are failing with rural voters. This time we ask why the GOP does so badly with young ones.
Generation Z is often described as overwhelmingly liberal, driven by strong feelings on abortion, gun violence, and climate change. But our guests on this show – two young Republicans – say it’s not that simple, and that if Republicans engaged in better marketing and outreach, they could win over many of the young electorate.
Joe Mitchell is a former state congressman from Iowa, elected to the Iowa House of Representatives at the age of 21. He is also the president and founder of Run Gen Z, a nonprofit dedicated to recruiting and mentoring the next generation of conservative leaders as they prepare to run for office. Karoline Leavitt ran for Congress in New Hampshire last year, securing the nomination in the state’s 1st Congressional District at the age of 25. Previously she worked in the White House as assistant press secretary to President Donald Trump.
Joe and Karoline say Republicans don’t need to change their conservative message to win over young voters. Rather they argue that the GOP should appeal to Gen Z where they are, particularly on social media, and support the young candidates trying to reach them.
Hear more on this episode of Let’s Find Common Ground.
Read the Episode Transcript
Ep 78 – Why Republicans Are Losing Gen Z
Karoline Leavitt
Karoline Leavitt is a Newsmax Contributor and the Founder of KL Communications. In 2022, Karoline made history as the youngest U.S. Congressional Nominee ever, securing the nomination in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District at 25 years old. Prior to running for Congress, Karoline served as Communications Director to House Republican Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, and as White House Assistant Press Secretary to President Donald Trump. Karoline is an alumna of Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Joe Mitchell
The Honorable Joe Mitchell is President and Founder of Run GenZ, a national 501(c)4 non-profit organization dedicated to empowering, recruiting, and mentoring the next generation of young, conservative leaders as they step up to the plate and run for public office. Representative Mitchell’s organization is a one-of-a-kind, peer-to-peer mentorship program for young conservatives who are paired up with sitting GenZ elected officials to serve as a guiding hand as they begin their campaigns.
Mitchell first ran for office at 20 years old and was later sworn in at the age of 21 – making him the youngest state legislator in Iowa’s history. After he began serving in the house, he came to realize the critical need for more young voices in local and state government bodies across the country. These young people bring a fresh perspective and a new outlook on existing issues facing this great nation. Since the realization, Mitchell has recruited and assisted in the election of school board members, city councilors, and state legislators from New Hampshire to California.
In addition to his work with Run GenZ, Mitchell owns and operates his own real estate development company while also serving as Chairman of the Iowa Real Estate Developers Association.
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