OC Young Adults Talk Politics In The Polarized Area

Orange County, California is a diverse area that has become the center of a polarized playground for politics.

Although this is the first time many members of “Generation Z” will be voting in the presidential election, the results of this election may be particularly divisive.

Miranda Gonzalez, 20, said she feels the youth of Orange County are “very split” when it comes to their political beliefs. 18-year-old Kiana Pring commented, “I know in some cities it’s usually more liberal or conservative, but I feel like Orange County is more of a 50/50.”

Historically, Orange County has been a politically conservative area. However, this has slowly changed over the past 20 years. The change was made clear in 2018 when two Democratic candidates defeated G.O.P. incumbents in the congressional races.

Two years later, Orange County is still politically divided. Nonetheless, there is still strong G.O.P support in certain parts of Orange County.

For those voting in support of President Trump’s second term, the economy is a main point of attraction, specifically what he has done with tax reform.

Eric Schumann, 20, said he hasn’t voted yet, but plans to vote for Trump in November. He explained that during Trump’s presidency, “401k’s have increased significantly, it was the lowest unemployment rate for Blacks, Hispanics and women, and stock markets hit record highs.”

In addition to supporting the economy during Trump's presidency, Davis Kuppinger, 19, said, “over the past four years, the median house income has increased and I would like to see that increase more. When the middle and lower classes are doing better, then the country is doing better since they make up most of the population.”

Kuppinger also mentioned he is a fan of Trump’s restricted trade policy with China, and said it’s good to get “more money back into our [country’s] hands.”

Other points of interest for Trump’s policy platforms are his positions on defending the second amendment, curbing illegal immigration and lowering drug costs.

“Honestly, as a conservative voting in California it doesn’t feel like my vote means much,” says Shane Bowe, 20. “But, it is our duty to vote, and I don’t think we have a right to ‘complain’ about situations if we don’t use our power to try and fix them.”

Sarah Semaan, 19, feels similarly, but supports a different ideology. She said during the Democratic primaries, she was “super excited, but the current presidential candidates are both less than ideal.” She stated she will “still be voting in the presidential election, but honestly only because it feels better than doing nothing.”

Others have different reasons behind their voter participation. “You rarely get the candidate you want,” said Mike Nelli, 21. “I voted for Bernie in the primaries because that’s who I most aligned with,” but that he can’t expect every candidate he votes for is going to be the Democratic nominee.

For others, their decision on choosing which candidate to vote for was more personal. Nicole Burns, 18, said her rights as a queer woman are jeopardized under Trump’s presidency. While gay marriage has been legalized for five years, she said “with this man in office, there’s a very likely chance that I could have that taken away, especially with the new changes in the Supreme Court. It’s something a teenager shouldn’t have to worry about, I suppose, but for me it is.”

Despite polarized views, Mike Nelli said, “I’m in it for the long run. If I want my personal ideologies to succeed, and that goes for anyone, just show up and vote with whatever’s most compatible with your platform.”