Millennials have been seen as a particularly important demographic for Clinton to win over. Many people in that age range helped elect Obama and earlier in this presidential race had gravitated toward Bernie Sanders. Since his exit from the race, some millennials have been reluctant to support Clinton, opting to back third-party candidates instead.

The national survey of 18- to 29-year-olds found that, among those who said they expect to vote in the presidential election, 49 percent support Clinton, while 21 percent back Trump, 14 percent favor Gary Johnson, and 5 percent support Jill Stein. The rest, 11 percent, said they were undecided.

Democrat Hillary Clinton holds a large lead over Republican Donald Trump among millennials who are likely voters, according to a new poll of that key demographic conducted by Harvard researchers.


The poll results were released Wednesday morning by Harvard’s Institute of Politics at the university’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Clinton’s favorability among millennials has improved since the institute’s last survey before the national conventions in July, while views of Trump remain essentially unchanged, researchers said.

The poll also found that an overwhelming majority of African-American millennials, about 85 percent, believe that people of their racial background are “under attack” in America.

Among Hispanic millennials, 72 percent felt people of their ethnic background were “under attack,” while 45 percent of white millennials said they felt white people were “under attack.”

Twenty-three percent of millennials said they believed race relations would improve, while 22 percent believed they would worsen, if Clinton becomes president.

Eight percent of millennials believed race relations would improve, while 62 percent said they would worsen, if Trump is elected.

“With the increasing violence seen in terrorism and racial disputes, I am concerned with the increase in violence as a result of these issues,” one survey respondent said.


A majority of millennials surveyed, 51 percent, said they were “fearful” about the future of America. Just 20 percent felt “hopeful.”

The two most “fearful” groups were white women (60 percent) and white men (54 percent), the poll found.

John Della Volpe, director of polling at Harvard’s Institute of Politics, said the main drivers of millennials’ fear appear to be economic concerns and anxiety over the “American Dream” no longer being attainable, with many 18- to 29-year-olds believing they will be worse off financially than their parents.

The pollsters reported that one survey respondent told them: “Everything seems out of control, and our politicians care more about themselves than doing the right thing for all Americans. We’re extremely divided, and very few seem to have any interest in trying to unite us.”

Another respondent said: “There is a decent chance the US will break apart within 50 years.”

The survey was based on responses from 2,150 US citizens between ages 18 and 29. Interviews were done online and most were conducted between Oct. 7 and 17, though a small number were conducted just before that stretch. The survey’s margin of error was plus or minus 3.11 percentage points.

The survey was conducted as Trump’s campaign began its recent tailspin.

Records of Trump’s old tax returns showing that he could have avoided paying federal income taxes for up to 18 years were released on Oct. 1.

The video of Trump’s lewd remarks about women that were recorded in a 2005 conversation with then-“Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush was released on Oct. 7.


In the recorded remarks he spoke about kissing and groping women, saying, “When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”

At the second of three presidential debates on Oct. 9, Trump said those comments were “locker room talk” and denied that he had ever actually sexually assaulted women.

In the days since, numerous women have said Trump sexually assaulted them in the past. He has said the accusations are false and vowed to sue them.

Matt Rocheleau can be reached at matthew.rocheleau@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @mrochele