SAN ANTONIO – How much of an impact did the young vote have on President Elect Donald Trump’s win over Vice President Kamala Harris?
We spoke with a dozen Generation Z students about how they feel post-election. Here is what they had to say:
“We just noticed the atmosphere right now was like a little down,” Elissa, a UIW freshman said.
“I think that I’m most worried about the new Trump administration for women, LGBTQ+ Americans, people who work in the federal government, especially with Project 2025,” said Blaine Martin, Trinity University senior. “And it is bound to reshape American society in many ways that we cannot even begin to fathom.”
“I had the opportunity to attend both the Republican, the Bexar County Republican watch party and the Democratic watch parties,” said Diya Contractor, Trinity junior. “I could just say that I don’t know so much about, I guess, the way different areas of San Antonio and how they feel. But I think I’m just devastated because of my experience as a political science student and as a student journalist, and just based on, I guess, the reactions I’ve seen in the last 12 hours and the way that the election is progressing, I’m just not happy with how it’s gone so far.”
“People have their opinions that it’s going to be really bad in the world because the president was elected,” said Maria Rojas, UIW freshman. “But I mean, in my opinion, like, I voted for Trump. So, I think that, like, that was the best decision for me for the economy.”
“I’m disappointed with the results,” said Kate Schulle, Trinity senior. “However, I am very hopeful for the future.”
“If you are really as impassioned as you say you are or, like, you want to talk about it that much, you should be doing something more,” said Josh Mitra, Trinity junior. “I just generally feel uneasy kind of going forward, mainly because, yes, there is a lot of political fervor right now, and a lot of people are talking about motions to mobilize. But in order for anything to actually substantially happen, it has to be maintained in a concrete way.”
“I think one of the biggest impacts that this could have long term is its influence on the Supreme Court and what new appointments like that could look like,” said Emily Gnecco, Trinity junior. “And it could have impact for decades and decades. So I think coming out of this election, it’s just sort of not knowing what to brace for, because this new administration could have a lot of unprecedented powers, just waiting to see what that brings.”
Gen Z’s impact on the election
Gen Z students, born between 1997 and 2005, were eligible to vote in this election. The reactions from students varied, with some expressing disappointment with the results, while others voiced hope for the future.
As for the impact of their votes, Juan Sepulveda, Calgaard Distinguished Professor of Practice and Political Science at Trinity University, said that by the numbers, their influence on the overall electorate is not yet major.
“Gen Z is still a smaller proportion of the electorate in the sense of who’s turning out right now,” Sepulveda said. “But as they get older and as they’re moving up, they have the potential just because of their role numbers to be really influential.”
Sepulveda explained that younger populations tend to vote more liberal, a trend seen among most Gen Z women. However, that trend didn’t hold in this election among young men. Some have dubbed this shift the “bro vote.”
Sepulveda noted it’s a movement that leans less toward traditional conservatism, driven instead by Trump’s populism.
“There could be notions of what it means to be a man or, you know, they were kind of taken in by the UFC or Hulk Hogan or other kind of pieces that may have kind of attract sports, and those kinds of things that attracted some of the young men,” Sepulveda said.
It wasn’t only young men who shifted from typical voting patterns. One student we spoke with said she voted for Trump and believes it’s a misconception that most Gen Z female voters supported Harris.
“Of course, as women, like, you would go toward (voting Harris), but I think you also have to educate yourself on both sides,” said Maria Rojas, UIW freshman.
One key takeaway is that many students are motivated to be more involved in future elections.
“This is the most inspired I’ve been to become politically active and directly work with campaigns and politics,” said Kate Schulle, Trinity senior.