It’s no surprise that midterm elections have historically been a referendum on the sitting president’s political party. Since 1934, the president’s party has, on average, lost four Senate seats and a whopping 28 House seats.

Heading into Election Day, Republicans predicted a massive red wave. However, a week after Election Day, Democrats are poised to maintain control of the Senate and either lose the House of Representatives by a slim margin or barely hold onto it.

It is clear that Democrats outperformed expectations. What is also clear is that based on the data so far, young voters were a significant factor in Democrats’ success.

If it weren’t for young people, it is very possible that the nation would have witnessed a red wave. And while some may be surprised at the influence of young voters, recent turnout and the current political environment point to a strong likelihood of a high turnout among young people.

Starting in 2018, young people have played a role in helping Democrats win, with a historic 28% of young people turning out to vote that year. That trend continued into 2020 with a record-breaking 50% of eligible young people casting votes. And this year’s midterm is on track to be yet another example of young people showing up in high numbers.

The turnout rate among young people this year is projected to be the second-highest for a midterm election, with nearly 27% of young people voting. Let’s look at the turnout of young Democrats and young Republicans.

Young Democrats turned out at a far higher rate than young Republicans. Consider Michigan: Comparing 2018 and 2022, almost 49,000 more young Democrats voted early or absentee this year; Republican gains equaled only slightly more than 3,000 votes.

Many exit polls tell a similar story. For example, in Arizona, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, upward of 70% of young people said they voted for Democrats. In Georgia, Wisconsin and Nevada, a majority of young voters said they voted for Democratic candidates.

Starting with the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the fact that the vast majority of Republicans have voted against bills that address issues such as climate change, gun reform and reproductive rights, more young people feel like they have no home in the Republican Party.

The Biden administration and Democrats have taken actions to show young voters that they care about our lives: investing a historic amount in combating climate change through the Inflation Reduction Act, forgiving student loan debt and pardoning those convicted of simple marijuana possession.

The Biden administration and Democrats have also invested heavily in recruiting young influencers. The Democratic National Committee assembled a group of online activists and gave them the tools they needed to publicize the administration’s successes. Meeting young people where they are requires going to online spaces and using messengers young people listen to.

As instrumental of a role young people had in this election, Generation Z is far from done. In a couple of weeks, Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker will face each other again in a runoff election in Georgia. And just like in 2020, turnout among young people will be pivotal.

Gen Z and millennials are on track to outnumber any other generation by 2024. That means that our political power is only growing — and the need for Democrats to invest in us and address our concerns is all the more critical. Because, after all, there is no path to victory for Democrats in elections going forward without young people.

For now, though, we celebrate a generation that prevented a red wave and saved democracy. But Gen Z is not stopping here. Gen Z is only getting started.

Victor Shi, a junior at UCLA, co-hosts the “iGen Politics” podcast. He is also a strategy director for Voters of Tomorrow, a Gen Z-led movement.