Executive Summary
Generation Z’s (Gen Z) eldest members turn 29 years old in 2026. Nearly 50 million Gen Z Americans—20% of the electorate—will be eligible to vote in this year’s midterm elections. Gen Z will make history as the most diverse generation in U.S. history to go to the polls, both in terms of race/ethnicity and sexual orientation/gender identity.
In July 2026, the Williams Institute conducted a survey of Gen Z adults about their political priorities and motivators, focusing on points of convergence and divergence between LGBT and non-LGBT respondents. We found similarities across a range of topics—from the qualities they’re looking for in a candidate to concerns about the rising cost of living. We also uncovered differences on important current issues and political engagement that may shape Gen Z adults’ decisions as they head to the ballot box in November.
Key Findings
- Gen Z respondents are politically engaged and plan to vote in the 2026 midterm elections.
- Nearly three-quarters (73.6%) of LGBT and non-LGBT Gen Z respondents reported that they will definitely or likely vote in the November 2026 elections for Congress.
- Gen Z respondents favored Democrats in 2026, and LGBT Gen Z respondents strongly favored Democrats.
- About seven in 10 (70.7%) LGBT respondents said they would vote for the Democratic candidate for Congress in a generic ballot question. Among non-LGBT respondents, about five in 10 (48.9%) said they would vote for the Democratic candidate.
- Fewer than one in 10 (9.5%) LGBT respondents said they would choose the Republican candidate in the generic congressional ballot question. About one in three (34.8%) non-LGBT respondents said they would choose the Republican candidate.
- LGBT respondents were more liberal: about six in 10 (62.4%) identified as liberal compared to under three in 10 (29.0%) non-LGBT respondents. Just 5.1% of LGBT respondents identified as conservative. In contrast, 23.3% of non-LGBT respondents identified as conservative.
- Gen Z respondents wanted candidates who share their values. Identity mattered less.
- Strong majorities of LGBT and non-LGBT respondents said their vote choices are motivated by a candidate who shares their values. Asked to select and rank up to three candidate qualities that would most make them vote for a candidate, two-thirds (67.4%) across the entire sample and three-quarters (76.2%) of LGBT respondents selected shared values.
- No other candidate trait polled above 50% for either group. Across respondents, only a quarter or less of respondents ranked the following candidate qualities as a top motivator: a candidate who is under the age of 40, a candidate who shares the respondent’s demographic background, and a candidate who is a political outsider.
- Gen Z respondents said that rising costs are a top priority.
- Large majorities said that rising prices and inflation, the rising cost of housing, and access to affordable health care are either an urgent crisis or a serious issue.
- Over 90% of LGBT respondents said that rising prices (92.4%), the cost of housing (92.8%), and access to affordable healthcare (91.5%) are an urgent crisis or serious issue.
- Non-LGBT respondents also rated these issues highly: 85.9% for rising prices, 85.8% for the cost of housing, and 78.4% for access to affordable healthcare.
- Differences in priorities emerged on big policy issues between LGBT and non-LGBT Gen Z respondents.
- Climate change was ranked an urgent crisis or serious issue by 88.1% of LGBT respondents compared to 72.4% of non-LGBT respondents. There was a similar gap regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions: 87.2% of LGBT respondents reported this as an urgent crisis or serious issue compared to 68.1% of non-LGBT respondents. The gap was slightly smaller for the conflict in Gaza: 81.8% for LGBT respondents compared to 67.1% of non-LGBT respondents.
- A higher percentage of LGBT respondents also rated passing laws to protect against LGBT discrimination (84.6%) as an urgent or serious issue compared to 49.5% of non-LGBT respondents. Overall, 55.4% of respondents said that this was an urgent crisis or serious issue.
- Likewise, 69.9% of LGBT respondents said that laws restricting gender-affirming medical care to minors is an urgent crisis or serious issue, compared to 52.1% of non-LGBT respondents. For the overall sample, 55.1% indicated that this was an urgent crisis or serious issue.
- LGBT Gen Z respondents were more likely to participate in politics.
- LGBT respondents were more likely to say they participated in diverse civic and political activities in the past year, such as volunteering for a political campaign or encouraging another to vote. For example, 69.6% of LGBT respondents reported encouraging others to vote compared to 54.2% of non-LGBT respondents; 36.0% of LGBT respondents reported contacting an elected official compared to 23.1% of non-LGBT respondents.
- Gen Z respondents were interested in participating more in politics.
- Respondents said that a range of activities and outreach efforts would increase their likelihood of participating in politics, such as working alongside peers (56.0%) and a personal invitation from a friend, family member, or peer (57.1%).
- LGBT respondents indicated even greater openness to increased political participation if given the opportunity to work alongside peers toward a common goal (68.4% compared to 54.6% for non-LGBT respondents) and hearing stories about civic engagement (52.2% compared to 39.0% for non-LGBT respondents).