Victories for Educational Choice

Across the country, Democrats and Republicans who support expanding educational choices win elections

Voters in the 2012 elections sent a clear message: they were going to support candidates who stand for educational options and strong reforms.

The American Federation for Children and its affiliated organizations endorsed more than 180 candidates who won their elections.  But beyond the Federation’s election work, education reform played a strong role in this year’s elections.

Here are the highlights from the 2012 elections:

• Georgia voters pass Amendment 1 to the state constitution, which will allow a key charter school authorizing committee to allow more charter schools to operate in the state.  Thanks to voters in Washington, the state became the 42^nd state to allow charter schools, beginning the trend toward creating strong educational choice in the Evergreen State.

• Indiana elected Mike Pence—a strong supporter of private school choice—to the Governorship.  While serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Pence supported the only federally-funded voucher program for students in Washington, D.C.

• All of the 10 candidates running in general elections in Arizona that were endorsed by the American Federation for Children won on Tuesday, including Rep. Kimberly Yee (R) and Rep. Barbara McGuire (D), both of whom won state senate seats.

• In Florida, a strong bipartisan coalition was elected or reelected with a mandate to expand educational options, including Representatives Bruce Antone (D), Cary Pigman (R), and Katie Edwards (D) and Senators Darren Soto (D) and Kelli Stargel (R).

• Tennessee voters elected a bipartisan coalition of members from the across the state, including Rep. John Ragan (R) and Rep. Tim Wirgau (R), as well as Dr. Steve Dickerson (R), who won a state senate seat. 

• In Ohio, House Democrats Bill Patmon and John Barnes were reelected, and in Wisconsin, Senator-Elect Rick Gudex provided a key victory by defeating Sen. Jessica King, who routinely criticized educational choice and Gudex’s support for it in candidate forums, thereby helping to flip the Senate and give a majority to educational choice supporters in the chamber.

 - American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG