Gen Z, Millennials and the midterms: A political changing of the guard
Nearly a week after the midterm elections, political analysts are still weighing what the results could mean for the future of American politics. National polling showed younger voters and other key groups swung back toward Democrats, while historic election victories and a surge of younger candidates point to a changing face of political leadership. E.J. Fagan, associate professor of political science at the University of Illinois-Chicago, said they are all signs political scientists look for when studying major shifts across the electoral spectrum. "This has all the hallmarks of an election that we write articles about for 100 years. In hindsight, we might call these realignment elections," Fagan explained. The results brought historic firsts to the Midwest, including in Illinois, which will be the first state represented by two women of color in the U.S. Senate. Nationally, Fagan thinks the mobilization of Latino voters is going to be something political science professors will study for a very long time. Neighboring Wisconsin is among six states where transgender and nonbinary candidates achieved milestones this year, winning legislative seats in states which had never before elected an openly transgender lawmaker. Nationally, Fagan said the eye-opening results reflect a generational change within the
