The editors of National Review take Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro to task for caving to the teachers’ unions on the issue of school choice. While the legislative failure is bad on the merits for kids and parents in Pennsylvania, it’s also bad politics for Shapiro.
After winning the key swing state of Pennsylvania by 15 points in 2022, Shapiro likely has presidential ambitions in 2028. But his big win in 2022 had more to do with the fact that Republicans nominated a whackadoodle candidate than with Shapiro’s own strength. Scoring a win on school choice could have helped Democrat Shapiro burnish his credentials as an independent who appeals to swing voters. A recent Marquette poll showed that voters in Wisconsin (another key swing state) support full-blown school vouchers for all students by a double-digit margin:
SCHOOL VOUCHERS: Do you favor allowing all students in Wisconsin to use taxpayer-funded vouchers to attend private school (right now, there are income limits on the state's program):
YES: 54%
NO: 44%Zooming in to Milwaukee County:
YES: 59%
NO: 41%~Marquette Law School Poll
— Jason Calvi (@JasonCalvi) June 28, 2023
Shapiro has, for now, missed a shot to appeal to centrists.