Gen Z voters on Kamala Harris being the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination
(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Vice President Kamala Harris is making her mark with Gen Z voters. With Harris now the clear frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, many young Democrats say it's a welcome relief.
"More excited to vote now. I'm more excited to vote for Kamala. Like I was gonna vote for Biden, but it wasn't exciting, I guess," said Anna Geiblar, a Gen Z voter.
"I think she'd be a good president. I think we need something new. We need a woman to lead this nation," said Mehlay Dressen, another Gen Z voter.
Some Gen Z Republicans say they're also glad Vice President Harris is running because they view her as a weak opponent.
"I really do think that Kamala Harris is probably one of the worst picks the party could've made," said Luke Brown, Treasurer of the American University College Republicans Club.
Brown says he's looking forward to voting for former President Trump.
"His administration and what he did in his first four years provide a stark contrast compared to the America we see under Joe Biden, which is a failing nation," Brown expressed.
Young voters could play a pivotal role in the election. According to Tufts University, nearly 41 million members of Gen Z will be eligible to vote this November. NBC News exit polls in 2020 found Gen Z made up 9% of all voters and 65% voted for Biden.
This election cycle though, some young voters say they feel left out of the conversation.
"I feel like a lot of times when they're up there debating, they're not talking about things I want to know about," said Megan Komer, another Gen Z voter.
Gen Z voters in both parties were asked what issues they care about. Republicans say immigration and inflation.
"Our country has been completely destroyed, has been damaged to the point of no return, and that's why we need common sense back into this nation," said Valentina Gomez, another Gen Z voter.
"We really just want a secure border and we want prices to come down, and we also want crime...we see a lot of, especially in cities like Washington D.C., we see the crime epidemic," Brown shared.
Meantime, many young Democrats say climate change is top of mind, along with other issues.
"LGBTQ rights, abortion, definitely the Supreme Court," said Adam Maatallah, another Gen Z voter.
"I care about education. I care about gun safety laws...that's a really big one since we've grown up with school shootings," said Kiera Papa, another Gen Z voter.
Continued conversation around key issues, with less than a month to go until the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
