How Pennsylvania’s young voters feel about the political landscape now that Kamala Harris is on the ballot

Since Kamala Harris announced her candidacy, there has been a noticeable shift in enthusiasm, especially among Gen Z voters in Pennsylvania. Here’s what they had to say.

It’s been a month since President Joe Biden announced he wasn’t seeking re-election and Vice President Kamala Harris would be the Democratic candidate for president, and Pennsylvanians are already noticing a shift in the climate.

Especially the younger generation.

George Zhang, of Paoli, just turned 18 and will be voting for the first time in November. He’s excited about casting his ballot and making his voice heard.

“There are a lot of issues on the ballot related to the youth,” Zhang said. “It’s important for us to vote.”

While reproductive rights are top of mind for many young Americans, access to abortion here in the commonwealth isn’t as much of a concern, thanks to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and the Democratic majority in the state house. But the state’s minimum wage is still only $7.25 an hour, public school funding is still a problem, and there are housing issues throughout the state.

Sophie Rivell, of West Chester, echoed Zhang’s sentiment.

“Usually, young people voting is the lowest margin out of all the age groups,” Rivell said. “I think this election is really going to impact the future of my age group specifically. I think it is very important that we are showing up at the polls and voting for what we care about.”

While Rivell is only 17, she is active in getting young people registered to vote and remains abreast of what is going on with politics.

“I think going into this election, [public] education is very important and democracy in general,” Rivell said. “There are a lot of threats to democracy in politics right now and I think protecting that is very important.”

Kadida Kenner has also seen an attitude shift in the voter climate. Kenner is CEO of the New Pennsylvania Project, an organization focused on getting people registered to vote, particularly those in minority communities and the younger generation. She said many of the people her organization spoke to prior to Harris announcing her candidacy were disgusted and disheartened by the options on the November ballot.

That isn’t the case anymore.

“Our voter registration numbers have improved every week,” Kenner said. “Many want to take advantage of this historical opportunity. I think that is what has been the driving force, definitely on college campuses. This is a historical opportunity to vote for someone who represents the changing demographics.”

Over the past eight years, Emma Sargent, 24, of West Chester, has been dismayed with the state of the country. She said the younger generation has lost faith in the electoral process, but their vote is extremely vital to the country.

“This is the first time I have felt like a candidate understands the way politics operates and knows how to push an agenda forward effectively,” Sargent said. “I also think it is important to have women and people of color in power. It’s important for people to see people in power who are like them. It’s really nice to see this new energy going into November.”