The primary election results in a handful of states have made one thing clear — Republican elected officials who are anti-school choice are getting voted out of office while education-freedom champions are securing state house and senate seats.
Voters in Missouri selected six pro-school choice candidates in their August 6 primary election. Representative Kyle Marquart, R-District 109, who voted against school choice and was endorsed by the teachers unions, was defeated by more than 10 points by John Simmons, a school choice supporter. Incumbent Gary Bonacker, R-District 111, who opposes school choice, lost by nearly 18 and a half points to Cecelie Williams, who supports school choice. The victory for Williams guarantees her appointment to the Missouri House of Representatives, as she will run unopposed in November.
In Tennessee, after Gov. Bill Lee saw the statewide education freedom bill fail to make it across the finish line in the 2024 legislative session, he went to work endorsing candidates who favored expanding school choice from “three to all 95 Tennessee counties.” His effort was successful as 12 out of 15 candidates he endorsed secured victory in the state’s primary election on August 1.
Earlier this year, the Texas primary election resulted in the ousting of six representatives who voted against school choice during the most recent legislative session. The Texas runoff election a few months later found three more representatives opposed to school choice voted out of office. Additionally, five other anti-school choice representatives, seeing the writing on the wall, lost seats by forgoing reelection. School choice advocates picking up 14 seats equates to a
