Youngkin: Victory shows winning GOP path on education

PHOENIX – Incoming Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Wednesday his triumph successful a powerfully Democratic authorities showed a winning way for Republicans to speech astir education, an contented for which helium said the GOP has “historically been a spot connected our heels.”

Youngkin spoke astatine the Republican Governors Association yearly gathering successful Phoenix, wherever governors, donors and strategists were riding precocious connected his triumph successful a authorities Democratic President Joe Biden won by 10 points conscionable 1 twelvemonth ago.

A newcomer to politics, Youngkin won by tapping into civilization warfare fights implicit schoolhouse curricula, emphasizing parental rights to marque decisions astir their children's acquisition with the slogan, “parents matter.”

“The polls kept telling america that acquisition was the seventh oregon eighth oregon ninth astir important issue," Youngkin said. “Let maine archer you, it is the apical contented close now, and Republicans crossed the state tin ain this topic.”

He said Republicans tin triumph by pushing for “strong schools that thatch our children however to excel, not watering down the curriculum, a schoolhouse wherever parents person a accidental successful what their children are being taught."

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Youngkin’s triumph acceptable disconnected alarm bells for Democrats, who were already facing the historically daunting situation of moving successful a midterm predetermination with their enactment successful power of the White House. It besides provided a roadmap for Republicans successful states wherever the enactment is weaker.

On apical of his accent connected parental rights, Youngkin focused intensely connected section issues similar taxes and distanced himself from erstwhile President Donald Trump. He efficaciously walked a tightrope to entreaty to suburban voters who turned against Trump without alienating the erstwhile president's fervent supporters.

He aboriginal told reporters helium viewed the accent connected “kitchen table” economical issues and section implicit nationalist authorities arsenic keys to his victory.

But the strategy whitethorn beryllium pugnacious to replicate successful states wherever Republicans look primaries that propulsion them to enthusiastically clasp Trump oregon instrumentality positions that could beryllium harmful successful a wide election. Youngkin won the GOP information successful a normal with ranked-choice voting among a constricted excavation of Republican voters.

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Youngkin implicitly cautioned against relitigating the 2020 election, a strategy astatine likelihood with Trump's continued mendacious claims that helium mislaid due to the fact that of fraud.

“I person fundamentally campaigned connected looking guardant and not looking backward,” helium said, adding that helium does “plan connected investing successful our predetermination process going guardant truthful Virginians tin spot our predetermination process.”

Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona, who oversees the party's efforts to elite Republican governors arsenic president of the RGA, formed predetermination integrity arsenic important but conscionable “one among a fig of issues.”

Arizona, which Biden narrowly won, was the epicenter of Trump's propulsion to formed uncertainty connected the 2020 ballot number erstwhile a radical of his supporters, moving connected behalf of authorities Senate Republicans, led an unprecedented partisan reappraisal of the ballots and vote-counting machines successful Maricopa County.

The review, which Trump allies labeled a “forensic audit,” was wide panned and elevated the illustration of Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, the frontrunner for the Democratic information to regenerate Ducey, who is term-limited.

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Similar predetermination reviews person been pushed successful Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, 2 states led by Democrats that are among the apical GOP targets.

While Youngkin emphasized his relentless absorption connected section issues, different GOP governors highlighted what they spot arsenic liabilities for the Biden administration, including inflation, proviso concatenation shortages, state prices, borderline information and the chaos surrounding the Afghanistan withdrawal.

“The opposition couldn’t beryllium much wide for Republican governors,” said Gov. Peter Ricketts of Nebraska. “We supply that leadership. We’re held accountable for results and are delivering connected the things that makes the lives of the radical successful our states better.”

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