Early on Wednesday morning, Governor-Elect Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) took the podium to address supporters in Chantilly, Virginia. From the start, to many Virginians, Youngkin represented a powerful grassroots candidate, who inspired voters throughout the commonwealth of all demographics. As the race progressed, education particularly turned out to be an important issue. And, for a significant part of the electorate, the most important issue.
A major part of Youngkin's victory speech touched upon education, as highlighted by Tim Hains for RealClearPolitics:
There is no time to waste. Our kids can't wait. We work in real people time, not government time. So on day one, we are going to work. We're going to restore excellence in our schools. We will invest the largest education budget in the history of the commonwealth. We're going to invest in teachers, new facilities, special education. We are going to introduce choice within our public school system. How about that? Choice within the public school system. We're going to start with charter schools and going to make a down payment and close the gap on giving parents an opportunity to select where their kids go to school. Friends, we are going to embrace our parents, not ignore them.
We're going to press forward with a curriculum that includes listening to parents' input. A curriculum that allows our children to run as fast as they can. Teaching them how to think, enabling their dreams to soar. Friends, we are going to reestablish excellence in our schools. We are fighting for parents and students and teachers in our schools.
After his speech, Youngkin greeted supporters, specifically thanking "Mama Bears" when it comes to the education issue.
The moment @GlennYoungkin clasps his hands in gratitude to you: mama bears—and papa bears. “Way to go mama bears!” he says. “You guys were awesome.” Then he recognizes a teen who had introduced him when he met @coalitionforTJ parents. We do this for America’s cubs ?? We see you. pic.twitter.com/melhkjiQ73
— Asra Q. Nomani ??Mama Bear “White Supremacist”?? (@AsraNomani) November 3, 2021
Exit polls revealed education was a top issue.
"Youngkin, meanwhile, leaned into local issues like education and fashioned himself as a champion for parental rights," a CNN exit poll write-up from Ariel Edwards-Levy noted that Youngkin "leaned into local issues like education and fashioned himself as a champion for parental rights" and that as part of "his closing argument to voters ahead of Election Day, Youngkin sought to center the national implications of the race, in part, on education."
"Just under one-quarter said education is most important," Edwards-Levy noted. For Youngkin voters, economy was the top issue, followed by education and taxes.
Fox News found that 25 percent said Critical Race Theory (CRT) was the single most important issue. Among these voters, 70 percent favored Youngkin. Additionally, 72 percent of voters said CRT was an "important" issue.
At the Election Night watch party, where Townhall was present, as Fox News broadcast on large screens throughout the venue, supporters of Youngkin cheered as the network flashed this particular exit poll result on the screen.
Townhall asked a few important figures who played a hand in getting Republicans elected with their various efforts to share their thoughts on Youngkin's victory and the momentum about the race. Many of them brought up education.
Andrew Loposser, the chairman of the Arlington GOP, was present at the election night watch party in Chantilly.
"Virginia is back! Last night was a referendum on the failed policies of Joe Biden & Terry McAuliffe. The message from voters was clear. We want safer communities, parents want to be involved in their children's education, and we want to fund and protect our law enforcement. Glenn Youngkin, Winsome Sears, Jason Miyares, and a Republican General Assembly led by Todd Gilbert will put Virginia back on track. This is a great day for the Commonwealth!," he told Townhall on Wednesday morning.
As I also reported on Wednesday evening, Republicans took back control of the House of Delegates with 52 seats to Democrats' 48 seats. Previously the make up was 55 Democratic seats to 45 Republican seats.
Matthew Hurtt, the communications director for the Arlington GOP, emphasized the "positive" nature of Youngkin's campaign and the issues he ran on.
"Glenn Youngkin ran on issues that resonate with voters. He ran on a positive vision for Virginia’s future, and Arlington voters took notice. Republican volunteers came out in droves to get out the vote, and we will continue working to make sure Arlingtonians have a clear choice in each election," Hurtt told Townhall.
Jessi Blakely, the Young Republican Federation of Virginia chairman, likewise praised the candidates she worked with to get elected for their commitment to issues, as she particularly highlighted first time candidates.
"The young professionals I work with, particularly young parents, are thrilled with the Governor-elect's agenda that prevailed across our Commonwealth! This can be most clearly seen by the number of young Republican candidates who stepped up to run and were successful in local and state house races. They championed kitchen table issues like education, public safety, lowering the cost of living in their communities, and increasing opportunity across the board. Most were first time candidates, just like Glenn Youngkin, who felt the call to serve their communities. The energy around this movement from top to bottom is the story of this election to me," Blakely said.
Kipp Chapin, the chairman of the Arlington Falls Church Young Republicans (AFCYRs) emphasized the winning qualities that Youngkin brought, and mentioned education in that the momentum increased after the debates, where the issue was raised.
"When Glenn announced that he was running for Governor, I got pretty excited. I know a winner when I see one and I was on board from the beginning. The response that we received from voters as we interacted with them during our deployments across the Commonwealth was equally enthusiastic. Laying out a positive vision for the future creates a positive response from voters and that’s why Glenn won. The momentum and enthusiasm clearly increased after the debates, especially when Terry said that parents shouldn’t be telling schools what they should be teaching," Chapin said.
Chapin also took part in a live stream video for the group to offer analysis and insight on the race that was posted to the group's Facebook page.
The Arlington GOP and AFCYRs held an election night watch party at the Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill, where about 250 people attended, according to Hurtt.