Why Gen Z Loves Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received more support from Generation Z than either President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump in a New York Times/Siena College poll released this week.

Biden and Trump, both viewed as front-runners to win their party’s primary contests, are facing questions about their ability to connect with young voters, a group historically known for low turnout. Gen Z tends to skew Democratic, but Biden has found himself at odds with young voters over key issues like the Israel-Hamas war and student loan relief.

Kennedy, a Democrat-turned-independent, is finding success with these voters as he hopes to topple the two-party system in the 2024 presidential election. The poll, which surveyed 3,662 registered voters across six battleground states from October 22 to November 3, found Kennedy winning support from 34 percent of voters age 18 to 29.

Only 30 percent of voters in that age group said they planned to back Biden, and 29 percent expressed intent to vote for Trump, according to the poll. The survey found similar results among millennials—31 percent of voters age 30 to 44 said they would back Kennedy, while Biden and Trump received support from 30 percent apiece.

The poll underscores challenges for both candidates heading into 2024 as they hope to build on their youth support, face questions about their age and calls for a new generation of leadership within their parties.

However, his support among young voters may have little to do with his policy positions. Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California, told Newsweek young voters may be supporting Kennedy due to their disapproval of both Democrats and Republicans, as well as his family legacy.

“Young people could be just reacting to the utter dissatisfaction with the parties, and with these two much older, historically older, candidates,” she said. “Beyond that, I think Kennedy has gained recognition because of his last name, but there’s a lot to learn about who he is and what he stands for.”

Romero cautioned that the poll comes a year before the election, and that it remains unclear whether other polls will replicate his support among Gen Z, which tends to include lower-information voters this far out. Younger voters typically follow the election once it gets closer, she said.

Gen Z’s support for Kennedy may also be related to the younger set’s desire to change the current political system, Meena Bose, executive dean of Hofstra University’s Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, told Newsweek.

“It’s less policy issues that young voters appear to be responding to, than a desire for change in the system, and that’s what somewhat motivated support for Barack Obama in 2008, and Donald Trump in 2016, and now for an independent candidate,” she said.

Kennedy, who initially launched a Democratic primary challenge to Biden before switching his party affiliation to an independent, may not be completely in line with young voters on every issue. He has staked out more centrist positions on issues like abortion, a key 2024 issue on which Gen Z tends to skew liberal.

A Kennedy spokesperson told Newsweek the poll is “very significant.”

“Mr. Kennedy is the number one choice for young people and independents. He draws strong support from both Democrats and Republicans, and from black, white, and Latino voters. This demonstrates a strong potential for him to unify the country,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement.

Bose explained that these candidates must be able to “demonstrate an ability to appreciate or prioritize their interests,” including student loans and the environment, to win Gen Z support.

“That’s no easy path when you’re passing generations, but I think that will need to be done for both of the major party candidates, given the age of President Biden and of many of the contenders for the Republican nomination,” she said.

Gen Z may also be backing Kennedy due to his family history, Romero said. Being the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy boosts his name recognition and may draw position connotations for many voters. They may also assume Kennedy aligns with them on political issues due to his family’s history, even if that is not necessarily the case, she said.

While it remains unknown whether Kennedy will be viable come Election Day of next year, Biden needs to connect with young voters in an “effective, sincere way” to stop potential bleeding, Romero said.

“Generally, the parties do a horrible job connecting with young people and it’s not very sincere. They use likely voter models to be strategic about where to put their resources. They’re trying to get every voter, and just what they think they strategically need,” she said. “Young people historically have much lower turnout rates. They usually are not part of the likely turnout model that candidates use, and they therefore get much less outreach and education or connection by candidates.”