On July 21, President Joe Biden endorsed Vice President Harris as the democratic candidate following his withdrawal from the presidential race. Harris’s campaign strategy resonates with Generation Z voters, potentially giving her a significant advantage against former President Donald Trump.
A survey conducted by USA Today and Suffolk University revealed that Harris leads Trump by 13 points among voters aged 18 to 34, a dramatic shift from earlier polls showing Trump in the lead.
Polls also indicate that half of Gen Z intends to vote for Harris in November, while only one-third support Trump.
This surge in support can be attributed in part to the “BRAT” summer campaign inspired by singer Charli XCX’s pop album “BRAT” which went viral on social media. Harris received notable endorsements, including one from Charli XCX herself. The Harris campaign updated its social media presence to mirror the style of the album.
The campaign’s social media accounts were renamed “Kamala HQ,” separating themselves from her personal accounts, and adopted a profile picture with a lime green background and lowercase san-serif font mimicking the popular album cover. In a May 2023 speech, Harris asked the crowd “Do you think you just fell out of a coconut tree? You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.” The clip resurfaced and became a meme. It was edited into pop songs, quickly going viral.
The campaign’s success with Gen Z is not limited to style alone. Harris focuses on issues that resonate with younger voters, including gun control, abortion rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and climate change. This substantive approach, combined with a modern communication strategy, leveraging memes and informal language, has helped Harris connect with a generation who is considered politically engaged, with 57 percent “extremely likely to vote,” according on a Tufts University poll.
The Harris Campaign released multimedia advertisements online and on college campuses with the goal of reaching young voters where they spend the majority of their time. This deliberate strategy aims to guarantee that Harris’s message strikes a chord with the younger voter base and results in actual votes come November.
However, the Gen Z vote is not monolithic. A Sept. 4 NBC News Poll which surveyed prospective voters between 18 to 29 found that while both men and women of this demographic favored Harris in the election, young women were significantly more likely to support Harris than young men. While the “BRAT” inspired campaign may be an effective strategy in appealing to young female voters, it remains unclear as to whether it is enough to bridge the more broad gender gap between Gen Z voters. For instance, during the 2022 midterms, 54 percent of Gen Z men voted more conservatively, whereas 72 percent of women voted more liberally.
Another issue that has the potential to split the Gen Z vote is the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. A 2023 poll from Quinnipiac University found that 52% of voters under 35 are more sympathetic to Palestine. Likewise, a poll from New York Times and Siena found that 55% of respondents between 18 and 29 oppose the United States sending aid to Israel. Though Harris has gone on record to support a ceasefire deal in Gaza, she also said in an Aug. 29 CNN interview, “I am unequivocal and unwavering in my commitment to Israel’s defense.” Harris’s pop culture rise may not be enough to reconcile her views on the war with a younger voting block.
Still, Harris’s campaign approach appears to be working. Gen Z may be crucial to Harris’s victory over Trump. It will be intriguing to watch how these relationships change as the election draws near and whether Harris can continue to gain ground with younger voters.
Editor-in-Chief: Jordan Premmer, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia McCrackin, Managing Editor: Jordan DelFiugo, Opinion Editor: Dakota Duran, Scene Editor: Elina Graham
