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Poll: Clinton struggles to make inroads with young voters

Posted: Jul 12, 2016 12:58 PM WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Clinton is having trouble attracting younger voters who enthusiastically backed Bernie Sanders during the Democratic presidential primary, according to a first-of-its-kind poll that pays special attention to the voices of young adults of color.

The new GenForward poll of adults ages 18 to 30 shows that a majority of the nation's younger blacks and Asian-Americans have a favorable impression of Clinton, but the presumptive Democratic nominee struggles with whites and Hispanics.

Here's a look at some of the findings from the survey conducted by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.



The survey widely polled young adults, not necessarily registered or likely voters, but the findings suggest Clinton may struggle to turn out voters aged 18 to 30. While Clinton emerged victorious in her unexpectedly tough primary with Sanders, the contest revealed a stunning weakness with such young voters.

The GenForward poll found that among those who preferred Sanders in the primaries, only half are prepared to say they'll back Clinton in her general election face-off with presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.



While Clinton campaign officials acknowledge their candidate's disconnect with young people, they see the prospect of a Trump presidency as perhaps the best way to motivate those voters in November.

Indeed, the GenForward poll found that Trump's standing with young people is staggeringly negative. Just 19 percent of young voters have a favorable opinion of the businessman. Among minorities, a paltry 6 percent of African-Americans, 10 percent of Hispanics and 12 percent of Asian-Americans see him favorably. Trump performs strongest with young whites.

"I'm very afraid of the potential for his presidency," said Emily Erickson, a 30-year-old from Minneapolis who is planning to vote for Clinton. Erickson, who is interested in social justice and women's issues, said Trump is "not thoughtful or willing to be intelligent."



But the GenForward poll shows weaknesses in Clinton's support among young Hispanics, who prefer Sanders to Clinton by nearly a 3-to-1 margin. More than 4 in 10 had an unfavorable opinion of Clinton, and they were also more likely to say Clinton is untrustworthy and slightly more likely to say she's unqualified to be president than young African-Americans.



Clinton has made moves in recent days to attract some of Sanders' loyal young supporters, including unveiling a college affordability plan that would make in-state tuition free for families making $125,000 or less per year. Sanders proposed free tuition at public higher education institutions for all, a plan supported by three-quarters of young adults, according to the survey.

Sanders formally endorsed Clinton on Tuesday during a rally in New Hampshire, a step her campaign sees as an important signal to the Vermont senator's backers.

Clinton spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa said the candidate "believes we must do everything we can to make sure that millennial voters have their voice heard in our campaign." She noted that the campaign recently hired three former Sanders aides to lead an effort to boost outreach to young people.




On Twitter follow Julie Pace at: http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Emily Swanson http://twitter.com/EL_Swan



GenForward polls: http://www.genforwardsurvey.com/
