School voucher advocates are celebrating a victory in Thursday night’s primary elections, according to reports out of Nashville, Tenn.
In the recently concluded Statehouse elections, AFP Action, a pro-voucher organization affiliated with Americans for Prosperity School, announced that 10 out of the 13 candidates they backed emerged victorious in their respective primary races.
According to Tori Venable, a Senior Advisor at AFP Action, the recent election results indicate that voters are in favor of Governor Bill Lee’s school voucher program.
According to Venable, the message conveyed through the primary election was loud and clear – voters want school choice and greater freedom in education.
According to Venable, the results of the primary were not ideally in favor of pro-voucher candidates. She opined that the policy majority is quite narrow with only a 51, which is barely enough to pass.
The acknowledgement was made that the races lost were influenced by factors other than vouchers. It was pointed out that the high-profile endorsement from former President Donald Trump also played a significant role.
During a significant race, Bobby Harshbarger received an endorsement from Trump and defeated Senate Education Chairman Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol).
The upcoming legislative session is seen as an opportunity by AFP Action to make progress in advancing the school voucher agenda. Despite the challenges, the organization remains optimistic in achieving their goals.
Venable stated that they have a unique opportunity to implement a universal school choice program that will cater to a vast majority of families in the state from the very beginning.
According to Venable, they have learned from the previous session’s mistake of having multiple versions of a universal school voucher bill. This time, they are well-prepared with a single piece of legislation that they are confident can successfully make its way to Lee’s desk for his signature.
