Former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel issued a word of caution to Republicans about the Gen Z vote as the Nov. 5 election draws near.
In an op-ed published in The Hill, McDaniel began by noting the reality her college-aged daughter and son are facing as just two of about 40 million Gen Zers who can vote in the 2024 election. She explained that her conversations with them about politics now center on issues that affect them, rather than just her previous role in the GOP.
My daughter is a college senior. It should be an exciting time for her and her fellow graduates. Instead, they are anxious as they begin their search for jobs to start their careers. Their futures feel a lot less bright than mine did at their age.
The housing crisis has led to high rents for everyone, but no one is more affected than young adults. In one recent survey, inflation and the cost of living was the top issue for Gen Z voters — a bigger issue for these kids than abortion, threats to democracy and health care combined.
Owning a home, starting a family and establishing yourself financially are quintessential pieces of the American Dream. If young people feel that dream has slipped away, it’s because it has for many.
Democrats’ policies that put young Americans in this situation. Home prices and rents are skyrocketing in large part due to policies enacted or vetoed by Democratic governors and mayors.
She went on to argue that most in this generation want to see policies enacted that help them get ahead financially.
“Democrats have made their problems worse, and our Republican candidates need to go on offense here,” she wrote. “Vice President Kamala Harris may want to turn the page, but she can’t rewrite history. It is the job of Republican campaigns to remind young voters who is to blame for the issues they face — and what they are going to do to fix them.”
Given how close the election will be, McDaniel said it would be a “missed opportunity” if the GOP doesn’t engage with these new voters, as Democrats are.
"Already my kids have been inundated with Democratic mail and texts, and my son has even had Democratic organizers knock doors in his college apartment complex," she noted.
“This year, we have a good opportunity to add more young voters to that coalition and put a Republican back in the White House, keep control of the House and win the Senate majority," McDaniel concluded. "We just need engage them."