Politics

Blue State Voters Re-Elected Officials Who Locked Schools Down, Forced Kids To Mask Up

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• Democratic leaders who kept schools closed the longest as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic saw big wins in Tuesday’s midterms. 
• “Moms in New York especially are just devastated to see Zeldin lose. They really cannot understand how a woman that kept masks on children longer than anyone else and that really has just violated so many fundamental rights could be elected into office by the majority of people,” Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, a parental rights in education group, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. 
• Michigan, New York and California voters elected their governors that kept schools remote until the 2021-2022 school year. 

Blue state voters earned Democratic leaders who kept schools closed and children masked during the pandemic major wins in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

School lockdowns from the COVID-19 pandemic caused the nation’s academic achievement to suffer historic declines. Despite the consequences of remote learning, Democratic governors in states such as New York, Michigan and California that kept schools closed, won their elections on Nov. 8.

“While it’s unfortunate that many of those responsible for keeping schools closed were kept in office in states like New York and Michigan, there is no doubt that parents across the country are waking up to the fact that the emotional, academic and physical well-being of kids were not top of mind for many in positions of power and influence,” Nicole Neily, president of Parents Defending Education, a parental rights in education group, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

In New York, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul defeated Republican candidate Lee Zeldin with 52.8% of the vote on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. Hochul mandated in September 2021 that all state-regulated child care facilities, including schools, require any child older than two years old to wear a mask, according to a New York state press release.

On March 2, 2022, Hochul’s statewide mask mandate in schools ended, a New York state press release said. Hochul admitted in August that school closures during the pandemic was a “mistake” calling it “nothing short of chaos,” according to the Buffalo News.

Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, a group focused on parental rights in education, told the DCNF that parents in New York are disappointed to see a leader that harmed their kids win the election.

“Moms in New York especially are just devastated to see Zeldin lose,” Justice told the DCNF. “They really cannot understand how a woman that kept masks on children longer than anyone else and that really has just violated so many fundamental rights could be elected into office by the majority of people. It’s just a sad day for them.”

In Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer won reelection, defeating Republican candidate Tudor Dixon with 54.5% of the vote, according to the Associated Press. Whitmer claimed during an October debate against Dixon that Michigan schools were closed three months, however schools continued remote learning into the spring of 2021, the Detroit News reported.

Remote learning negatively affected student achievement scores in Michigan; in 2019, Michigan was ranked 32nd in the state for fourth grade reading scores, but fell to 43rd in 2022, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. In eighth grade reading, Michigan fell from 29th in 2019 to 31st in 2022.

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom was reelected with 57% of the vote Tuesday, defeating Republican candidate Brian Dahle, according to the AP. Newsom announced in April 2021 that California schools would not reopen until the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, the Edsource reported.

Where schools returned in-person sooner, Republican leaders saw big wins; Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis defeated Democratic candidate Charlie Crist by nearly 20 points, AP News reported. Florida schools reopened and returned to in-person learning in the fall 2020, several months after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools, according to NPR News.

Similarly, South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem won reelection with 62% of the vote, defeating Democratic candidate Jamie Smith on Tuesday, AP News reported. South Dakota schools returned to in-person learning for the 2020-2021 school year, according to the Argus Leader.

“With the recent national report card showing generational, catastrophic learning loss, we’re going to work harder than ever to hold the education establishment accountable for their failures and to ensure parents have the tools to advocate for their children,” Neily told the DCNF.

Hochul, Newsom and Whitmer’s office did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.