A group of conservative education activists took a victory lap Tuesday as GOP candidates Glenn Youngkin, Winsome Sears, and Jason Miyares prevailed in the hotly contested Virginia governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general races.
The issue of education had come to dominate the race in the Washington, D.C.-adjacent commonwealth, and Republicans capitalized on parental concerns about critical race theory, school reopenings, and transgender bathroom policies.
The issue came to a head when Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe infamously remarked in a September debate he didn’t believe that parents “should be telling schools what they should teach.”
GLENN YOUNGKIN WINS VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S RACE, RIDING ENTHUSIASM WAVE ON EDUCATION ISSUES
For Ian Prior, a conservative activist and executive director of the Youngkin-aligned political action committee Save Our Schools, the governor’s race merited a social media victory lap to thank parents for supporting Youngkin and the rest of the Republican ticket.
“To the amazing moms and dads in Loudoun County, you inspired millions,” Prior wrote on Twitter. “I said we could do this all day every day until we made a change.”
To the amazing moms and dads in #loudouncounty:
You inspired millions. I said we could do this all day every day until we made a change.
And you did that. (1/3)
— Ian Prior (@iandprior) November 3, 2021
Prior has been at the forefront of parent protests against the Loudoun County school board and campaigned with Youngkin in Leesburg on Monday, the final day before Election Day.
“You put on your suits of armor and took the slings and arrows from your school board, the media, intolerant neighbors, and the Department of Justice,” he wrote, referring to the DOJ’s decision to open a joint agency task force with the FBI to investigate threats against school board members.
“Last night I asked you to go get it. And you went out and got it. You are and always will be heroes for your children and I am proud to know all of you,” he continued, promising “more good news tomorrow.”
You put on your suits of armor and took the slings and arrows from your school board, the media, intolerant neighbors, and the Department of Justice.
But we’re still here. And we. Are. Not. Done. (2/3) #loudouncounty
— Ian Prior (@iandprior) November 3, 2021
Last night I asked you to go get it. And you went out and got it.
You are and always will be heroes for your children and I am proud to know all of you.
And we will have some more good news tomorrow! (3/3) #loudouncounty
— Ian Prior (@iandprior) November 3, 2021
Prior wasn’t the only activist to boast about the election result. Corey DeAngelis, executive director of the Education Freedom Institute, tweeted, “Parents are the real winners tonight.”
parents are the real winners tonight.
— Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) November 3, 2021
The Manhattan Institute’s Christopher Rufo heralded the election result as the first major victory in an organized fight against “woke ideology.”
This summer, we gathered a group of writers, artists, and activists to conceptualize the fight against woke ideology.
Tonight, we scored our first major victory. Tomorrow, we get back to work. https://t.co/zsAfRj1og1
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) November 3, 2021
“As it turns out, ‘critical race theory isn’t in K-12 schools’ is not only a lie, but a massive political loser,” Rufo wrote in a tweet celebrating the electoral result.
As it turns out, “critical race theory isn’t in K-12 schools” is not only a lie, but a massive political loser.
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) November 3, 2021
Some prominent conservative commentators credited Rufo, who organized opposition to critical race theory, as the driving force behind Youngkin’s win.
You’ve been so crucial to its exposure and parents everywhere owe you a debt of gratitude!
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) November 3, 2021
Love him, hate him, whatever: there’s no denying @realchrisrufo has had a very significant impact on GOP and therefore American politics in a remarkably short amount of time. Rare to see a new activist campaign, spearheaded largely by one person, come to fruition so quickly. https://t.co/H51p99kLFu
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 3, 2021
tfw you singlehandedly flipped Virginia red for the first time in decades @realchrisrufo pic.twitter.com/qbkTMxLMaJ
— Nate Hochman (@njhochman) November 3, 2021
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
For his part, the victorious Youngkin, who campaigned on banning critical race theory and expanding education choices, promised to “embrace parents, not ignore them” during his early Wednesday morning victory speech.
