LGBTQ+ Gen Z Voters Want Candidates Who Share Their Values, Not Necessarily Their Identity: Study

A new study conducted by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law explores the voting and political participation behavior of LGBTQ+ Gen Z voters. A majority of respondents said they’ll be voting in November.

About 50 million U.S. citizens between 18 and 29 can vote in the midterm elections.

“Gen Z is sometimes described as less engaged in politics, but these findings show a politically tuned-in generation,” said lead author Nathan Cisneros, Program Director at the Williams Institute, in a press release. “Drilling down, we found that LGBT Gen Z shares its generation’s economic concerns and appetite for civic engagement, but we also found stronger party preference, political orientation, and the salience of certain social issues for this demographic group.”

The research found that 73.6% of LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ Gen Z respondents said they would definitely vote in the 2026 midterm elections. It also found these queer respondents were more likely than their straight or cis peers to report being part of civic or political activities within the last year. A majority also report that they’ve encouraged others to vote as well.

The research found differences between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ Gen Z adults in political participation, party preference, and the urgency they assign to several major national issues. However, it shows common issues such as affordability, shared values in a candidate, and the importance of personal relationships and opportunities to work alongside peers on civic action.

More than 76% of queer Gen Z respondents in the study said they’d pick a political candidate who shares their values more so than similar identity.

Affordability was a concern for both queer Gen Z and their peers. Almost 90% said rising prices, inflation, and housing costs were an “urgent crisis or serious issue.”

“Gen Z is the queerest and fastest-growing voting generation in America. We have the power to determine outcomes where it matters most, and fixing democracy hinges on our civic participation,” Isaac James, the co-founder and executive director of OutVote, an organization focused on queer Gen Z voters. “This research validates OutVote’s organizing model and the opportunity going into November: LGBTQ+ Gen Z Americans are motivated, and we’re mobilizing to support leaders who share our values and will fight for our futures.”

Other issues that LGBTQ+ Gen Z respondents said were important and urgent include climate change, ICE actions, the war in Gaza, and laws protecting against discrimination. 

The Williams Institute study also found that 70.7% of LGBTQ+ respondents would vote for a Democrat in the upcoming congressional races, in comparison to 9.5% for a Republican. For non-LGBTQ+ respondents, those numbers were 48.9% and 34.8%, respectively. 

“As Gen Z’s share of the electorate grows in the coming years, the qualities expressed by these LGBT Gen Z respondents will shape political discourse and electoral outcomes,” said co-author Laurel Sprague, Research Director at the Williams Institute. “It is vital that political candidates address Gen Z’s concerns and work to encourage their political participation.”