I’m a gen Z voter. Content creators have far less power than politicians think | Alex Bronzini-Vender

Both US parties scramble to win young voters via influencer operations. The evidence doesn’t support their efforts In tight races, any group that shifts a few points can be called decisive. In 2024, however, gen Z voters actually earned the spotlight. Take Michigan, where Donald Trump won by about 1.4 points: he and Kamala Harris evenly split the youth vote, a 24-point collapse in the Democratic edge since 2020. If young voters made up just 15% of the state’s electorate, their swing toward the president would be worth roughly 3.6 points, larger than Trump’s entire margin of victory.

Ever since, both parties have scrambled to court the tastemakers who seem to have gen Z’s ear. At her debut briefing, the former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reserved a “new media seat” in the briefing room, inviting podcasters, influencers and content creators to apply for credentials. The NRCC, House Republicans’ campaign arm, has paid