Americans ages 18 to 21 overwhelmingly support GOP: Yale Youth Poll

Young voters aged 18 to 21 are leaning more heavily toward the Republican Party than their slightly older peers, according to a new Yale Youth Poll released this week.

The survey, conducted between April 1 and April 3 among 4,100 registered voters, found that voters aged 18 to 21 favor Republicans by a margin of 11.7 points when asked who they would support in the 2026 congressional elections. In contrast, voters aged 22 to 29 favored Democrats by 6.4 points, revealing a significant split among the youngest generation of voters.

The findings indicate a notable political shift, as younger voters have historically been a reliable base of support for Democrats. However, the poll suggests that Generation Z, particularly those shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic during their formative years, are developing more right-leaning views on several key cultural and political issues.

One issue gaining widespread support among young voters is protecting female athletes from biological men in women’s sports. The poll found that 57.8 percent of voters under 30 believe that trans-identifying biological males should not be allowed to compete in professional sports. The percentage rises even further when the question pertains to college athletics.

Vice President JD Vance emerged as the most popular Republican figure among respondents, carrying a +65 net favorability rating overall, and a +54 rating among Republicans under 30. Over 53 percent of Republicans said they would support Vance if he were to run for president in the 2028 GOP Primary.

On the Democratic side, former Vice President Kamala Harris remains the leading figure, with 27.5 percent of voters saying they would support her in a 2028 primary. Harris also holds a +60 favorability rating.

"Politicians often promise things to young voters and reach out to young voters, but they can't do that if they don't have an understanding of what young voters believe and where young voters are,” said Arjun Warrior, a data scientist for the Yale Youth Poll. “That's why polls like this are really important because they provide insight—albeit imperfect insight, but insight nonetheless—into what young voters believe.”