US midterms revive 'millennial optimism' for Gen Z

Democrats' midterm election victory has fuelled talk among young US voters of a return to “millennial optimism”, a social media trend that recalls the style and political hope of the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Videos and posts using the phrase have drawn large audiences since Tuesday's vote. For some Gen Z voters, now aged 18 to 29, the result evoked comparisons with the enthusiasm many millennials felt when Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008.

An AFP analysis of NORC Civic Health & Elections Project data found that 65.5 percent of voters aged 18 to 29 backed Democrats, while 30.6 percent voted Republican. Among young people who voted for Republican President Donald Trump in 2024, 16 percent chose a Democrat in these legislative elections.

Preliminary results from a New York Times nationwide survey also pointed to a shift among young voters. The survey indicated that men aged 18 to 29 moved toward Democratic candidates by nearly 40 percentage points since 2024, while women in the same age group moved by 27 points.

Some young voters described the result as hopeful. Aliya Baddely, a 20-year-old University of Akron student, said the Democratic wave made her feel hopeful. Caleb Varns, 22, also pointed to newly elected candidates as signs of change.

Others warned against reading the result only as optimism. Alberto Medina of the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement said the election was comparable to 2008 mainly because both were Democratic waves powered by young voters. This year's result, he said, was driven more by “Gen Z dissatisfaction” than by millennial optimism.

Young voters interviewed also cited economic worries, climate change and artificial intelligence as concerns. Medina said young voters are not loyal to a single party or candidate and may make different choices in 2028.