As younger support wanes, Biden aims to solidify his base among senior voters with new outreach strategies.
In response to shifting support among key demographics, the Biden campaign is launching a focused initiative to court older Americans, seeing potential in their increasing approval for the 80-year-old president. Named “Seniors for Biden-Harris,” this campaign effort will kick off with events led by Douglas Emhoff, while First Lady Jill Biden will also conduct outreach in battleground states.
Recent polls indicate a decline in Biden’s popularity among younger, Black, and Latino voters, though there’s been a surprising upswing among those 65 and older. Winning the senior vote would be historic for a Democratic candidate, as it hasn’t occurred since Al Gore’s campaign in 2000. Campaign activities for seniors include postcard writing, phone banks, and even pickleball tournaments, signaling a novel approach to engage older demographics.
Biden’s team attributes this shift to multiple factors, including the seniors’ preference for traditional media sources like newspapers and television over social media platforms like TikTok, where younger audiences tend to dominate. In an April NBC News poll, Biden held a strong lead among newspaper readers but fell significantly behind among voters who avoid political news.
Biden’s “freedom and democracy” messaging, with echoes of Ronald Reagan’s Cold War-era rhetoric, is believed to resonate with older generations, particularly veterans. Biden recently highlighted veterans’ benefits in New Hampshire, spotlighting the PACT Act, which expands health care for veterans, and honoring both Vietnam and World War II veterans.
This steady, experienced image has drawn positive feedback from representatives like Ann McLane Kuster of New Hampshire, who noted seniors appreciate Biden’s “steady hand” in contrast to political volatility. Older voters may also feel strongly about issues like abortion, as they witnessed Roe v. Wade’s initial impact and are concerned for their daughters and granddaughters.
Biden’s team remains aware of the crucial role younger voters played in his 2020 victory, with him winning this demographic by a significant margin. The April poll shows him nearly tied with Trump among 18 to 29-year-olds, yet gaining slightly with seniors, an area the campaign hopes to solidify.