Virginia has a unique role on the political landscapeĪs a swing state where the gubernatorial election falls the year after a presidential one, and where incumbents are barred from seeking a second consecutive term, Virginia is often viewed as a national political temperature check. But the combination of 2022 midterm politics and increased attention to divisive local education issues, in short, might prove to be a potent combination. Virginia’s move to overhaul math instruction earlier this year generated some controversy, and Youngkin criticized a previous state-mandated school closure in the early stage of the pandemic. State policy issues haven’t been off the political radar. Other state and local officials, if not federal politicians, could look to leverage education in their own races next year using Youngkin’s strategy, especially in swing states where COVID-19 rules and curriculum concerns have divided the public or made headlines. “He wants to bring his personal culture wars into our classrooms.” “Glenn Youngkin uses education to divide Virginia,” McAuliffe said at a rally. And McAuliffe’s remark during a late September debate with Youngkin that downplayed the role of parents in determining school curricula has become a touchstone for the campaign. Stories stemming from local school districts in voter-heavy northern parts of the state-including controversy over a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about slavery, and a case of sexual assault at a high school -also have played an outsize role in the campaign. These divisions are not new, but they could fuel an evolution in how politicians use schools in campaigns, at least for the short term. The close election, pitting Democrat Terry McAuliffe against Republican Glenn Youngkin, has highlighted national tensions about what schools teach, parental control, and COVID-19 protocols.
Virginia’s gubernatorial campaign, through a combination of default, design, and political energy, has become both a focal point for national angst about schools and a showcase for how local education issues can fuel high-profile political campaigns.
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