Lifelong Democrats in Virginia are ditching Democrats for Republicans over what they say is the left’s poor treatment of schoolchildren and its malfeasance when it comes to giving students a proper education.
In a “Fox & Friends First” panel on Tuesday, four Virginia Democrats explained how their party’s COVID-19 lockdowns, treatment of parents concerned about their kids’ learning, and the state’s education system in general have turned them away from Democrat gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe to Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin.
“I decided I could no longer support a party that didn’t prioritize the academic, social, and emotional needs of students,” Briana Howard, a parent in Fairfax, Va., said. “I’ve previously voted for Democrats because I felt that the party preaches equality, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, they denied students access to one of the greatest equalizers which is in-person education.”
Later in the segment, Saundra Davis, a lifelong Democrat in Virginia, explained that Youngkin “is trying to collaborate with parents” while “McAuliffe and his people are trying to criminalize us.”
Gaby Rengifo, a Virginia business owner, confirmed this.
“I think that on the education level, our state of Virginia has been going to sleep. What we need is to wake up for education. Teachers have priority to our kids and our parents. That’s why they went to college and they have a certification as teachers,” she said before adding that she believes Youngkin “is gonna do a better job on education for our community.”
Bethany Heim, a mother of two, said she’s always been a Democrat but the blue party’s behavior has forced her towards the middle and she now identifies as an independent who just wants to be heard.
“In the conversations that I’ve had with various Democrat representatives, I’ve felt really frustrated. I felt as if my voice wasn’t being heard and as if I wasn’t a true Democrat,” Heim said. “It made me feel like maybe you know this party, maybe I’m no longer a Democrat, maybe I need to look elsewhere to have my voice heard.”
All four women testified that they felt abandoned by the Democrat party and suggested they don’t expect education to improve if leftists continue their crusade on schools.
“I voted for Biden in 2020 but I can’t imagine voting for a Democrat in the future mainly because of education. I think that kids are our future and the Democrats are not prioritizing the needs of our children,” Howard said before confirming that she did not think she would vote for Biden again.
