The "Youth Vote" Isn’t Real — It’s Two Blocs Going in Opposite Directions
The youth vote was once the Democratic Party’s secret weapon. Now, it’s fracturing — and the break is along gender lines.
The youth vote has long been a cornerstone of Democratic optimism. But that foundational assumption is showing serious cracks. The biggest one? A gender divide so wide it might soon split the youth vote in half.
In recent cycles, young women (ages 18–29) have become a political force unto themselves, supporting Democratic candidates by wide margins. But young men? In 2020, they only gave Biden a slim majority. In 2024, some polls showed Trump outright winning Gen Z men, especially among white men. That’s not just a red flag — it’s a generational realignment.
The Gender Gap That Could Break the Youth Vote
In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, a notable gender divide emerged among young voters. Men aged 18-29 showed increased support for Donald Trump, while women in the same age group predominantly favored Kamala Harris. This pattern reflects a broader trend where young men are gravitating toward conservative candidates, whereas young women are aligning more with progressive figures.
Historically, young women have participated in elections at higher rates than their male counterparts. For instance, in the 2018 midterm elections, 34% of young women (ages 18-24) voted compared to 30% of young men. This higher engagement among young women is linked to their active involvement in social movements and activism, but it can also be explained by external factors we’ll cover later.
The youth gender gap is no longer a blip — it’s a widening canyon. In 2020, young women (18–29) voted for Biden by a margin of 35+ points. Young men? Only by 13 points, and that dropped even further in 2024. It’s not just white men either — young Black and Latino men also showed noticeable shifts to the right.
Young women are mobilizing around issues like reproductive rights, climate change, gun reform, and LGBTQ+ equality. They see systemic inequality not as a debate topic but as a lived reality. Post-Dobbs, many are animated by a sense of existential threat. Their politics are not just values-based; they're survival-based.
Meanwhile, for many young men, the left is failing to offer a compelling narrative. Influenced by online personalities like Andrew Tate, Joe Rogan, and Jordan Peterson, they’re drawn to messages of self-reliance, anti-"wokeness," and a nostalgic vision of masculinity. The right provides these men not just with ideas but with identity, aesthetic, and community, but with phantasms to blame in the form of Democrats, liberals, immigrants, woke ideology, and — most notably — women. The left, often intentionally, vacates that space in favor of a less toxic rhetoric, but the lack of pushback in these spaces allows for far more radical ideas to permeate in each.
Culture Wars, Meme Wars, and the War for Young Men
The digital landscape plays a nigh-inescapable role in shaping the political inclinations of young men. Influential figures such as Andrew Tate, Jordan Peterson, and Adin Ross have garnered substantial followings among Gen Z males, often promoting narratives that resonate with extreme conservative ideologies. These personalities have utilized platforms like YouTube and TikTok to disseminate content that critiques progressive movements, influencing young male audiences toward right-leaning perspectives.
Conversely, young women have been mobilized by issues directly impacting their rights and futures. The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade galvanized many young women to engage politically, emphasizing reproductive rights and gender equality. This surge in activism facilitated by online communities and social media platforms fosters collective action and awareness among young women in an online ecosystem that right-wing young men live in complete ignorance of. While this does not necessarily mean that left-wing or progressive action is solely the realm of young women, they are at the forefront of these fights. As a result, the right uses this trend to tap into gender insecurities among young men by targeting women as wokescolds, SJW’s, and Karens — sometimes accurately.
The right speaks to young men in the language of humor, culture, and vibes. Their content is aspirational and entertaining, often grievance-filled with a tinge of hope for something more idealistic. The left, meanwhile, often communicates through earnest advocacy or academic jargon, spawning such ridicule as “the left can’t meme” type criticisms. While left-wing commentary online often spans paragraphs (and I’m not too proud to admit I’m literally doing this right this second), laconic critical irony dots the landscape of the right-wing conservative online space. In a media environment driven by algorithms and attention, that difference matters. Young men aren’t necessarily rejecting progressive policy. They’re rejecting the tone, the packaging, and the alienation they feel from being cast as problems rather than as partners.
As I’ve touched on briefly before, progressives have not yet figured out how to talk to men in a way that is inclusive, affirming, and non-punitive. But it’s possible. Labor organizing is one path forward. The resurgence of union activity at Amazon, Starbucks, and college campuses is being led by young men and women, side by side. Shared struggle is a powerful unifier.
There’s also a forgotten wellspring of progressive masculinity — veterans, tradesmen, first responders, laborers. These aren’t fringe cases. They’re models for what a healthy left-wing masculinity could look like: tough, selfless, rooted in service, and resilient against the populist mix of memes and misogyny. Eventually young men will grow up, and there needs to be a soft landing for them after the Andrew Tate era.
Why the Left is Losing — and How It Can Fight Back
The divergence in policy priorities between young men and women is evident in their responses to key issues. Young women have shown strong support for reproductive freedoms, viewing them as fundamental rights. In contrast, some young men, influenced by conservative discourse, exhibit ambivalence or opposition to these rights.
While both genders express anxiety over economic stability, young men are more likely to attribute economic challenges to immigration and globalization, aligning with nationalist rhetoric. Young women, however, often emphasize systemic inequalities and advocate for progressive economic reforms.
Surveys indicate that young women are more inclined to prioritize climate action, participating actively in environmental movements. Young men, although concerned, may place greater emphasis on economic growth and express skepticism about certain environmental policies.
If you are currently telling one of these groups in your head that they’re wrong for their stances, take a moment to step outside of your own perception. That’s how we start to reach these groups, by meeting people where they are, both literally and mentally.
So, here’s my unsolicited advice for Democrats, liberals, leftists and progressives going forward:
Don’t take young women for granted.
Their turnout can't be assumed, and their enthusiasm can’t be endlessly drawn upon without reciprocation. When their issues are dismissed or sidelined, young women notice — and disengage. Protecting abortion rights, addressing sexual violence, and affirming gender equity must remain front and center, not just during campaign season but in governance. Backing away from these policies will only signal to the wider base that your support of these positions was either performative or exploitative, and there are many on both sides of the political and gender aisle that already believe this to be the case.
Stop scolding young men. Start building identity based on community, solidarity, and dignity.
Shaming isn’t strategy. The fact that a term like “wokescolds” exists at all is indicative of the pushback to this approach. Young men aren’t a monolith of reactionaries-in-waiting — they’re often just disconnected. Offer them belonging instead of blame. Rebuild a positive vision of manhood rooted in care, cooperation, and contribution — not just critique.
Invest in voices who speak to young men where they are, not where we wish they were.
This means meeting them in the content ecosystems they already inhabit — YouTube, Twitch, Discord, TikTok — and doing so with authenticity, not condescension. Elevate creators who model pro-social masculinity, challenge toxic narratives, and build cultural cachet without losing moral clarity. Conservatives’ youth advantage with men is real but brittle. It rests on grievance, not governance, and their gains with men are often offset by catastrophic losses with young women.
As a young man myself, I’ve seen firsthand the attempts to engage from both sides. I’ve seen the anxieties of men who desperately want to be seen as independent and strong, only to slowly cripple themselves emotionally in the process. I’ve personally helped more young men with suicidal ideations than I ever thought I would. And my experience is not unique.
Addressing the concerns of young men requires engaging with their economic anxieties, their mental states, and their perceptions of social change without alienating their progressive base. It requires setting aside the preconceptions of male privilege, and acknowledging that toxic masculinity and patriarchy is harming these young men as well. Some prominent politicos and politicians like 2024 VP nominee Tim Walz have already been able to do this pretty effectively, and while it does incur some ridicule from the other side, persistence is the key.
This Is the Fight of the Next Decade
To move the needle with young men, Democrats and liberals need to fund creators who are building alternative, pro-social narratives that speak directly to their experiences and values. Hire young male organizers with real-life credibility — especially those with backgrounds in labor, military service, or the trades. Partner with Twitch streamers, Discord groups, and meme accounts to co-create culturally fluent campaigns, not — and I can’t stress this enough — not just to ask for fundraising money and recruit volunteers. We need to rethink not just our messaging, but the entire visual language we use to communicate progressive values in a way that is authentic, aspirational, and masculine without falling into reactionary tropes.
No one goes from being the scrawny kid to the yoked Chad overnight (at least not without a montage of some sort). The GOP's appeal to young men is bolstered by aligning with influencers who resonate with this demographic by catering to the lowest possible common denominator. However, to broaden their coalition, Republicans may need to moderate stances on issues important to young women and adopt more inclusive rhetoric, and that may not be something they will be willing or able to do in the next decade.
Understanding and addressing the distinct motivations and concerns of young men and women is imperative for political parties aiming to build robust, future-oriented coalitions. The gender gap in the youth vote isn’t just a polling quirk of an unusual election outcome — it’s the front line of a generational and ideological battle that will shape American politics for decades to come. If progressives want to win the future, they can’t afford to speak to only half of it.
I’ve written at length here about young men and the approaches to reaching them, and this is not to discount or exclude young women from the conversation. Young women are already leading. The question now is whether young men will join them — or be left behind by a movement that never learned how to speak to them. That requires more than new slogans and logos. It demands new strategies, new messengers, and a willingness to meet young men where they are, not just where we hope they will end up.
There’s still time to close the gap. But time alone won’t do it. The side that figures out how to build solidarity across the gender divide — not just in policy, but in culture and community — will own the next generation.
Adrian Brakeley is the President of the Young Democrats of Johnston County, NC and a Contributor at The Youth Observer.