Millennials are refusing to settle down — politically

Millennials are a generation of disruptors, having reshaped everything from business models and workplace culture to consumption habits. 

Now, the generation born between 1981 and 1996 could also disrupt politics. As millennials become the largest share of the American electorate, their growing rejection of both major parties could upend U.S. politics ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. 

A rising share of millennials now identify as political independents, a shift that could leave millions of voters politically unattached and increasingly up for grabs.

Why are millennials identifying as independents?

Tyler Donovan, a 29-year-old data engineer in Chicago, was a Democrat for most of his adult life but now identifies as an independent. 

“I’ve actually just been fed up” with both parties, he told Straight Arrow News.

Donovan is not alone. The majority of millennials — about 52% — identify as political independents, a share that has risen by five percentage points in each of the past two decades, according to Gallup. 

This marks a major break from past generations, in which young voters were more likely to identify as independents, before developing stronger partisan attachments over time. 

In 2025, roughly 45% of all U.S. adults identified as independent, the highest share since Gallup began tracking this in 1988. Researchers said much of that increase reflects the political identification of millennials and Gen Z. 

“Polling shows that on average, millennials do not feel that either major party represents their interests or reflects their values, perceiving the Democratic Party as ‘weak’ and the Republican Party as ‘corrupt,’” said Rachel Funk Fordham, a researcher at the Democracy Policy Lab at the University of California, Berkeley.

This generation has also grown increasingly distrustful of government institutions, said Lucas Holtz, senior political adviser at Third Way, a center-left think tank.

Donovan said he now identifies as an independent because he thinks Democrats are trying to mold each candidate to fit their agenda and that both parties are beholden to corporate interests and won’t “fight for the little guy.” 

He said he wishes there were viable third-party options.

While he generally leans liberal, Donovan said some conservative ideas also make sense to him. For example, while Donovan disagrees with many of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s positions, he supports his efforts to encourage healthy lifestyles and fight obesity. 

“I don’t like how nowadays it’s all or nothing, like a purity test,” he said. “If you don’t believe everything that a top Democrat is saying, you’re evil. I feel like it’s just really divisive.” 

Millennials have shifted right with age but remain predominantly left-leaning 

There is an old aphorism about the tendency of voters to shift to the right as they age: “If you’re not a liberal at 20, you have no heart. If you’re not a conservative at 30, you have no brain.” 

The youngest millennials are now turning 30 (the oldest are about 45). Like generations before them, as a cohort they are moving to the right, but only slightly. 

However, they remain significantly more liberal than their elders. 

In the most recent presidential election, about 51% of voters ages 30 to 44 voted for Vice President Kamala Harris, while 47% voted for President Donald Trump, according to CNN exit polls. 

Trump won among voters ages 45 and older. 

Nevertheless, millennials might continue to move rightward over time. In 2004, 57% of voters born in the 1980s leaned Democratic and 41% leaned Republican, according to the Pew Research Center. 

A decade later, Democratic-leaning millennials fell to 52% while Republican-leaning ones rose to 44%.

“There is a heated debate among political scientists as to whether Americans actually become more conservative as they age, or whether their primary political values are baked in during the impressionable years of their youth,” said Melissa Deckman, Ph.D., CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, a nonpartisan research organization.

Either way, millennials are moving through adulthood during a unique time, forging their own political path. 

Like many of his peers, Donovan is unmarried, has no children and rents his home. He told SAN that he may not want the traditional lifestyle — the house in the suburbs with kids — at least not yet.

“It is possible that we will see more of a conservative shift among millennials at a later stage of the life cycle,” said Fordham.  “Millennials are delaying homeownership and family formation longer than previous generations, so there could be a lag in the attitudinal shift.”

Affordability and cost of living dominate

Affordability and cost of living are dominant issues for millennials, experts told SAN. Yet large shares trust neither party to address their economic frustrations.

“We are struggling more than our parents. More of us are living paycheck to paycheck,” Donovan said. “My father had a consistent job for like 30 years … but now everyone has friends being laid off.”

Will millennials reshape elections?

Millennials like Donovan could reshape American politics in the coming years — but only if they are politically engaged. 

“A key question here is whether millennials will age into higher rates of political participation, as earlier generations have, or continue to vote at low rates due to disaffection with the political system,” said Fordham.

If their political independence persists — and if turnout rises as they age — millennials could become one of the most vital and unpredictable voting blocs in American politics.

Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief