Earle-Sears Is Four Years Late for the Outrage Cycle

"On Thursday night, at a Arlington County School Board meeting in northern Virginia, the Republican candidate for governor, Winsome Earle-Sears finally felt like she had found her lane. Near the stomping grounds that helped propel Virginia's Gov. Glenn Youngkin to victory in 2021, the lieutenant governor got the kind of primetime reception that has thus far eluded her struggling campaign."

""This is nonsense. Our children need to learn." It was the exact sort of messaging that worked wonders for Youngkin and Earle-Sears in Loudon County four years ago. Then, Virginia parents expressed deep concerns after a male student was found guilty of assaulting two female students at two different schools, once in a classroom and once in a bathroom, during a six-month time span."

Winsome Earle-Sears visited an Arlington County School Board meeting and received an enthusiastic reception as she criticized school policies, saying "This is insane" and "This is nonsense. Our children need to learn." The moment echoes Glenn Youngkin's 2021 strategy after a Loudoun County bathroom assault scandal that galvanized parents and propelled Youngkin to victory amid pandemic-era anti-government resentment. The incident and parental anger over school leadership behavior helped Republicans win statewide. Earle-Sears, a Black immigrant and former Marine with strong social-conservative positions, is targeting northern Virginia schools to appeal to conservatives frustrated with perceived rebellious district officials and to regain momentum in her campaign.

Read at The American Conservative