Midterm woes are already beginning for the GOP, with representatives airing their concern over losing a key voter group.
One affiliate of the party, the executive director of young Republicans group Run GenZ, feared there was a "curse" to the GOP being in power that could alienate a section of voters. Speaking with The Hill, Pennings urged the party to act before it was too late to keep young voters on side.
He said, "It’s really the curse of the majority, right?" Pennings, who serves as exec. director of a group founded by Trump appointee Joe Mitchell, added it was "the curse of being in charge" that could derail Republican Party hopes in the midterms.
This is a point echoed by Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, who says the figures in the lead-up to the midterms around young voter intentions "should be very concerning to Republicans".
Said figures are from a Yale Youth Poll which found voters between the ages of 18 and 34 preferred Democratic candidates to Republican candidates by between 15 and 20 points.
Democratic Party strategists are looking beyond the midterms already, with some in the party suggesting Donald Trump's failures in office are "not enough" to mount a long term comeback.
Rachel Janfaza, who leads youth listening sessions at The Up and Up firm, said, "In 2026, young voters aren’t looking for candidates who check boxes in a purity test or who stick to one party talking points."
"They’re really, actually looking for politicians who are just true to themselves and are willing to take a strong, specific stance on the issues that are affecting their daily lives."
Kaivan Shroff, a Democratic strategist and veteran of the Gen-Z group Dream for America suggested "short-term feelings about the economy" would subside, and the party needed a clear strategy in place.
Shroff added, "At the same time, is that a long-term strategy for 2028 and beyond? No, Trump failing is not enough."