How the Right lost millennials and college students

Published October 30, 2017 5:44pm ET



Why are millennials progressively (pun intended) leaning more towards the left side of the political spectrum, rather than the right? Why did 55 percent of millennials vote for Hillary Clinton compared, to 37 percent for Donald Trump?

The numbers are roughly similar to the 2012 election, where 60 percent of millennials preferred Barack Obama to 37 percent for Mitt Romney. In fact, the 5 percent that Clinton lost compared to Obama actually benefited Bernie Sanders the most, exposing a pull even further to the left for young voters. In party affiliations, a similar story can be found: 57 percent of millennials lean Democrat vs. 36 percent leaning Republican, according to the Pew Research Center. So, what explains this inevitable drag of millennials farther left? And why the growing desertion of young adults from the Republican Party?

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