by Audrey Clayton

Though the 2022 midterm elections are long over and the new congressional session has begun, it’s not time to move on from what happened in November quite yet. Analyzing the results of the midterm elections gives insight into many things, including the importance of the youth vote. And just like young people were one of the most crucial demographics in the recent midterm election, we are some of the most important voices in the future of politics as well.

Following the 2022 midterm election, fourteen members of Michigan Political Consulting (MPC) wrote a brief analysis of the election results and what they mean for the future of American politics. MPC is a student-run, pro-bono political consulting organization at the University of Michigan that is dedicated to bringing political analysis and strategic consulting to campaigns, activist organizations, and nonprofits. Writing the election analysis brief was a chance for us to provide an informed youthful perspective to the midterm results.

MPC began writing the brief shortly after the November 8th election and released it in mid-December. It tackles topics such as key swing races across the country, demographic shifts, the “Trump Effect,” and impacts on legislation. Perhaps most importantly, the analysis provides key insights and predictions for the futures of each political party.

In the brief’s final section, now-MPC President Patrick Pullis uses the example of the congressional race in Michigan’s Third District to discuss the path forward for Democrats. In west Michigan, Trump-endorsed candidate John Gibbs lost to moderate Democrat Hillary Scholten by 13 points. Pullis argues that this is because Scholten appealed more to her district’s values, and that moving forward Democrats should focus on running more candidates like Scholten who are ideologically in-line with the people they hope to represent.

Talking about the Democratic success in MI-03, Pullis writes, “If Democrats want to carry this success into 2024 and retake the House, they need to continue placing an emphasis on nominating quality candidates who are an ideological match for the district they’re running in.”

As for the other side of the aisle, MPC consultant Michael Wilson writes about hope for Republicans. Wilson argues that it’s time for Republicans to stop holding onto Donald Trump as the leader of their party and refocus their messaging on economic rather than social issues.

“The 2020 and 2022 elections demonstrate that Trump no longer resonates with voters like he once did in 2016,” Wilson writes. “Specifically, his extremism and crude presentation of himself no longer aligns with moderate Republicans and independents. Moving forward, it is in the GOP’s best interest to ensure Trump is not their nominee in 2024.”

Our analysis focused on demographic shifts and found time and again that one of the most important demographics in 2022 were youth voters ages 18 to 29. Young people went to the polls in record numbers in 2022, ensuring Democratic successes in battleground states and staving off the predicted “red wave.”

“Students and other youth voters are the future of politics, so it’s important that we all take an active role in the political process,” Pullis said. “When we make our voices heard by voting and working in various political spaces like we did with this election analysis brief, politicians and other political leaders take note and realize they must be accountable to us. No matter what you believe politically, I urge all students to get more involved in politics on the local, state, and national level.”

Despite being one of the most crucial demographic groups in the electorate, young people are often left out of the political conversation. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), while young people are concerned about political issues, they are often neglected in outreach efforts by political campaigns and organizations. Almost half of young people surveyed by CIRCLE reported that they were not contacted by any organization, candidate, or party about the 2022 elections.

It’s clear that young people aren’t going to be readily invited to the table when it comes to political discussions—instead, it’s something they need to seek out. The youth demographic is the future of politics, and at MPC, we are actively working to shape this future.