Overview

• Decision Desk HQ’s analysis of 31 states’ rolls, current through Jan. 1, 2025, reports steep Democratic registration declines among young men, including drops to 29% for young white men and 54% for young non-white men.
• Tulchin/NextGen polling in June found young women backing Democrats 66% to 24% on a generic ballot, while young men favored Republicans 48% to 42%, underscoring a pronounced split within Gen Z.
• Party strategists and activists are pressing for course corrections, with David Hogg criticizing leaders for not listening to young voters and pointing to hesitancy around endorsing New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
• Democratic pollsters highlight cost-of-living arguments as persuasive with young men, and organizers urge more sustained campus engagement with high-profile surrogates to rebuild support.
• Analysts caution that registration trends do not equal turnout or opinions, noting Gen Z’s volatility and mixed polling signals that include a Yale survey showing younger Gen Z skewing Republican and Pew finding some rebound toward Democrats.