Who will decide the November mid-term elections? If you believe AARP and the program conducted in Los Angeles by AARP and Politico yesterday, the deciders will be seniors. If you believe Tom Steyer and the millions he is spending to increase voter registration and get out the vote it will be millennials.

Generation Change, dedicated to help millennial Democrats run for office, is staging a rally Saturday in Stockton headed by its millennial mayor, Michael Tubbs, and a handful of statewide Democratic candidates who represent the emerging left wing of the party. Perhaps, the millennials will come out in greater numbers than attended the AARP/Politico event (which was also live streamed), but history indicates that it is more likely that older voters will be the deciders because they vote in greater numbers.

What we know about voter turnout may be upended in these extraordinary political times, but if the lesson holds it could benefit Republicans to a degree. Research by AARP and others shows older voters are more conservative than their millennial counterparts. An AARP survey indicated that 61% of seniors are considering leaving the state—a clear sign of dissatisfaction–that could affect how seniors vote in November. As California Republican Party chairman Jim Brulte noted at the AARP/Politico event, 40% of the 50-year-old plus voters are Republicans, 33% are Democrats.

California Politico Playbook’s Carla Marinucci interviewed Brulte who said Republican hopes rested on voters understanding that the problems of increased crime, underfunded pensions, housing and high welfare rates are the responsibility of Democrats who have run the state for many years. Brulte said if the media gives half the coverage to the problems of roads, pensions, schools and other difficulties that the media tends to spend on California’s resistance to Donald Trump the lessons would be learned and affect the vote.

Brulte argued that the recall of state senator Josh Newman by a 19% majority in a district that had a 3% positive Democratic registration is a signal that Republican fortunes can turn around even in California. He anticipates that the initiative process will drive voters to the polls with the high profile measures of the gas tax repeal and the rent control measure as magnets.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom, later interviewed by Politico Playbook co-authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman, had a rosier picture to paint of California. Newsom said California is doing just fine with a 3.7% GDP growth over the last four years and 99 consecutive months of job creation. Newsom declared himself passionate about entrepreneurship saying, “You can’t be pro job and anti-business.”

When asked about the many programs he advocates that come with a hefty price tag, the Lt. Governor said his goal is to begin a process on big changes like single payer health care; that changes won’t be achieved overnight. Newsom suggested a complete overhaul of the tax system is due, lowering some rates and broadening the base, including looking at service taxes in business to business transactions.

He refused to call the high-speed rail a boondoggle even after listing the changes to the project that vary greatly from the original promises made to voters on the train’s costs, route, and travel time. He said more honesty was needed in speaking of the project.

He praised California as “America’s coming attraction” and suggested that the national Republicans were following a losing formula that the state party charted nearly 25 years ago turning its back on changing demographics.

As to the question of who are the “deciders” in the coming election, there may not be a clear answer even after the votes are counted. However, Republican Chairman Brulte did lament the fact that he did not have a Republican like Tom Steyer to throw money around on behalf of the Republican Party.