Vice President Kamala Harris’ emergence as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination will shake up the 2024 presidential election in a number of ways. Perhaps most importantly, President Joe Biden’s decision will encourage millions more Gen Z voters to show up to the polls, according to a new analysis of the American electorate.
Resonate, a consumer data and intelligence company, revealed a new set of 10 distinct voter groups exclusively to USA Today after the company’s AI data engine sifted and matched the attributes of thousands of U.S. voters, and the 10 groups emerged from a database of 250 million Americans.
Based on insights from those groups, Resonate Chief Marketing Officer Erica McCoy predicted Friday that the new Democratic candidate will re-energize Gen Z enthusiasts, the largest of the 10 groups and including young independents who advocate for environmental regulation and LGBTQ+ rights.
“Independents are very persuasive,” McCoy said. “Many of Gen Z are voting for the first time, so there could be another interesting candidate who resonates with them.”
What are the 10 voter groups for the 2024 general election?
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The 10 groups can be loosely defined as left, right and independent, but when comparing insights from Resonate data on voter demographics, viewing habits, psychographics and other values and behaviors, the characteristics of each segment begin to paint a clearer picture.
“The reality is that people are not just Republicans or Democrats or independents,” McCoy said. “By pigeonholing people into these big chunks, we miss all the important things that unite people or divide people.”
Resonate says its methodology has informally predicted the results of the past two elections, even in key states like Michigan and Florida. “If nothing changes, we’re going to see lower voter turnout, especially among people who have traditionally voted consistently in presidential elections,” McCoy said Friday, based on the company’s analysis.
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Here’s how Resonate defines each of the 10 voter groups: They also include more traditional demographic data, such as income, which indicates household income: Click on a group name to scroll to that group.
Supports the Democratic Party (25%) Cynical Centrist | Safety Net Seniors | Progressive Expert
Independent-minded (50%): Money-minded Undecided | Gen-Z Zealot | Cyber Crusader | Non-Voting Neutral
Republican (25%): National Debt Hawk | Immigration Conservative Enforcer | Family First Millennial
Cynical centrist
Cynical Centrist: A socially conservative, fiscally moderate, urban, left-leaning millennial who prioritizes faith, family, and blue-collar work. They are concerned about higher taxes and have strong views on anti-abortion policies and parental control in education. They also have some interest in health care and workers’ rights.
Safety Net Seniors: Left-leaning retirees who prioritize climate change and veterans’ support. Prefer traditional TV news and print magazines and newspapers. Strongly support maintaining and strengthening systems like Medicare and Social Security, and have an 88% approval rating for the Biden administration.
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Progressive Professional: Left-leaning, concerned with mental health care, climate change, and poverty. Married, high-income, white-collar worker. Active on LinkedIn, Reddit, and NextDoor. Supports policies such as higher capital gains taxes and comprehensive gun background checks. Approval rating for the Biden administration is 81%.
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Money-Minded Undecided: A retired baby boomer housewife making less than $25,000 a year. Prioritizes ethical shopping and bargain hunting. Supports benefits, health care, and strict gun control policies, and advocates for lower prescription drug prices and stronger corporate regulation.
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Gen-Z Enthusiasts: Gen-Z students are addicted to smartphones and social media. They support pro-life and LGBTQ+ brands, and advocate for environmental regulations. They support policies like abortion rights, student loan forgiveness, higher minimum wage, new gun laws, and equality issues.
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Cyber Crusaders: Affluent, educated millennials who are often business owners with incomes over $150,000. They prioritize religious activities, travel, and social media use. They support ideas like abolishing the death penalty, student loan forgiveness, and multifamily zoning.
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Non-Vote Neutrals: Gen Xers are not registered to vote and are politically apathetic. They have no strong political opinions, minimal engagement with media and social platforms, and face rising costs. They attribute inflation to reliance on government benefits rather than jobs.
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National Debt Hawk: Right-leaning Gen X professional in a white-collar job making $150,000+ per year. Uses LinkedIn and traditional media. Concerned about partisan politics and the national debt. Supports US military aid to Israel and Ukraine, but opposes Trump’s 2024 presidential bid.
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Immigrant Conservative Enforcer: Retired baby boomer conservative Protestant earning $25,000-50,000 a year. Supports the pro-Israel brand and prioritizes cancer research and veterans care. Active voter in support of immigration policies, defense policies, tighter borders, fossil fuel production, and anti-abortion.
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Family First Millennial: Diverse Republican millennial single parent who is passionate about mental health care and helping underserved youth. Active on social media, she supports education, job creation, tax cuts, health care reform and pro-family policies.
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