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Gen Z and Millennials Just Sent a Terrifying Message to Both Parties

Jeff Charles
Jeff Charles  |  January 28, 2026 2:30 PM

A record high percentage of U.S. voters now identify as independents as of 2025, according to a new poll from Gallup.

These numbers could reflect a growing dissatisfaction with both major political parties.

Researchers found that 45 percent of adults now identify as independents, compared to 27 percent identifying as Republicans and 27 percent aligning with the Democratic Party.

This trend is especially pronounced among younger generations. “In 2025, majorities of Gen Z adults and millennials identified as political independents,” Gallup noted.

Even further, independents are more likely to lean toward the Democratic Party, which has a 57 percent to 42 percent edge over the GOP with left-leaning independents included. This is the first time since 2021 that Democrats have had such an advantage in party affiliation.

Yet, Americans’ political ideology still leans more conservative than liberal. But the gap is shrinking. “More Americans in 2025 described their views as ‘very conservative’ or ‘conservative (35 percent) than as ‘very liberal’ or ‘liberal’ (28 percent), with 33 percent identifying as ‘moderate.’”

But Gallup noted that “the seven-point conservative advantage over liberals in 2025 is the smallest Gallup has measured in annual averages dating back to 1992.”

But this does not necessarily mean Americans favor the Democratic Party more than Republicans. Instead, “these recent political shifts appear to be a consequence off one party’s association with an unpopular incumbent president,” as voters whose ties to their party are weaker tend to go against whichever party holds the White House.

Several independents told ABC News why they left their parties. One former Democrat said the party has failed to focus on issues that are important to the average American, like health care coverage. 

Another identified as independent but retained his registration in the GOP so he can vote in the Republican primaries. He told ABC News that “things have gotten so divisive that if feels like the minority on both sides speak for the majority,” and that both parties “alienated their voter base by being so polarizing.”

Zach Servis -- a 27-year-old independent who lost his bid for mayor for Jackson, Mississippi, last year -- also said that the political climate is "way too polarized and hateful."

Servis said he left the Republican Party around 2020 during the height of COVID after recognizing what he described as "hypocrisy" of his former party. He pointed to Republicans not supporting social programs such as the ACA, but willingness to help other countries -- something he said is not in line with Trump's "America First" slogan.

Looking ahead to this year's midterm elections, Servis said he believes that independent voters have enough "power to shift which side wins."

"I think that independent politics have an opportunity to shape this midterm where some of these parties are going to have to shift a little bit in how they win these voters -- and if they're not willing to come a little more to the middle or reach across the aisle, they're going to risk people crossing the aisle entirely and voting even for a party they don't believe in because at least that person's willing to listen," Servis said.

While the poll seems to suggest that people are abandoning their political parties, the truth might be less drastic. Independents still tend to vote for either Republicans or Democrats, so when it comes to elections, it won’t make much of an electoral difference.