Republicans aren't talking to Gen Z voters. If they were, they’d be tackling these issues.

Republican presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley have one more night to create sound bites and win over voters ahead of the 2024 Iowa caucuses.

The pair will face off in a debate in Des Moines on Wednesday night at Drake University, moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash of CNN. Former President Donald Trump was invited, but he'll be holding court on Fox News at the same time. It’s going to be a battle for the attention of the nation, at least the members of the nation with cable.

Let me be upfront: I am not Republican. In a lot of ways, I’m the worst nightmare for many Republicans – young, queer, femme and opinionated, the kind of person who identifies with the “blue-haired feminist” trope this group maligns on a regular basis. Maybe there’s no reason for them to listen to me.

On the other hand, I’m part of the youngest generation of voters, a group being largely left out of these conversations, save for hand-wringing about what’s being taught in schools. Forty-one million voters come November will belong to Generation Z, born within 1997 to 2012.

Sure, this generation is more left-leaning than baby boomers and Generation X, but Republicans would be remiss to ignore these votes. In 2022, more than 28% of Gen Z eligible to vote cast ballots in the midterm elections, more than previous generations at comparable points in time. In 2020, half of all voters ages 18-29 (which includes some millennials) turned out to vote.

If Haley and DeSantis are smart, they'd make their stances on certain issues in their big debate.

Iowa school shooting spotlights gun control

They’d talk about gun control, and the shooting up the road in Perry, Iowa, that killed one student and injured seven people.

Guns were the leading cause of death for teenagers and children in 2021, but a surprising one-third of people who bought guns during the pandemic were 18 to 29, according to The Guardian.

Hard-line stances on gun control and gun safety are imperative for getting the attention of younger audiences.

Abortion fight isn't going away – and my generation is paying attention

They’d talk about abortion, which 72% of 18- to 29-year-olds say should be legal in all or most cases, according to the Public Religion Research Institute.

Haley spoke about her stance at a televised town hall on Monday, saying that she’d support “whatever” legislation could achieve 60 votes in the U.S. Senate. That’s nice, but it isn’t a clear-cut answer on her own beliefs, especially after she critiqued the male candidates' messaging on the matter.

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Gen Z cares deeply about mental health

If they are smart, they’d talk about mental health, and what they’re doing to address the crisis that was the impetus for many of them to urge schools to reopen amid the pandemic.

A Gallup and Walton Family Foundation poll found that only 15% of those ages 18 to 26 would rate their mental health as “excellent.” This affects voters’ feelings on guns, as well – if gun control is a “mental health issue,” as many Republicans have said, they would take a strong stand on how to improve health care access for young people in the United States.

Gen Z doesn't care about sports. That's part of a bigger problem.

We'll have to deal with climate change more directly than other generations

They’d talk about climate change – an issue Gen Z is staring down more than any other generation has before, save for millennials just one step ahead. At this point, neither party can avoid talking about it. Even stances on initiatives like electric vehicles would be a welcome change to the current popular Republican strategy, which is to say nothing.

The Biden administration could stand to do more in this regard, as well – especially considering that 2023 was the hottest year on record.

What are we supposed to do about student debt and jobs?

And, if they really wanted to win Gen Z voters from front-runner Trump, they'd address the cost of living. They'd address the fact that rent prices have increased drastically, and that at least one study shows that more than a third of Gen Z believes they’ll never own a home. They’d address the issue of student loans, which the oldest members of the generation began paying last October.

They’d address the myth that a bachelor’s degree is the end-all, be-all for a well-paying job, and discuss how they intend to incentivize more young people to go into the trades. They would make sure to protect and grow the working class they so often tout as being behind them.

The frank reality is that the Republican Party needs to get more moderate if it ever wants to attract Gen Z voters, and Republicans cannot keep ignoring the growing number of voters in favor of riling up their base of people age 50 and up.

I am the kind of person many Republican politicians despise, but one thing is certain: The further the party plunges into the dark realities of Trumpism, the worse democracy fares.

Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno and Facebook facebook.com/PequenoWrites

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: In Iowa GOP debate, Haley and DeSantis need to address Gen Z voters