What Went Down During The 2021 Elections

It’s really fascinating how critical race theory and education issues writ large have become huge issues in the Virginia governor’s race. I thought it was interesting enough that Youngkin pledged to ban CRT in schools on his first day in office, if elected, but recent reporting suggests that Republicans elsewhere are playing off of conservative parent’s fears, too. According to the Associated Press, which cited data from Ballotpedia, there are 76 school districts in 22 states where candidates took a stance on either race in education or critical race theory. I wonder some of these races — Virginia especially — will test the extent to which these fights really animate voters? I could see Republicans during the midterms really doubling-down on this strategy of attacking CRT if Youngkin is successful tonight.

Great point, Leah. A lot of the current issues with the economy, of course, are because of the pandemic. And where does something like “mask mandates in schools” fall — education or the pandemic?

Wow, Nathaniel – if the pandemic ends up ranking that low on voters’ list, I’ve got some questions, namely whether the pandemic has lasted long enough that it’s the air we breathe rather than an issue that gets “handled.” So, since the pandemic has obviously influenced the economy, does “handling” the economy include “handling” the pandemic? And where is that getting reflected in polling?