Cultural issues aren't abstract or petty. The GOP has taken notice.


If Republican Glenn Youngkin wins the Virginia governor's race on Tuesday — or even comes particularly close — expect the GOP to push hard on the cultural issues that appear to have propelled him to a near-tie with former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D).
Youngkin has run on controversial topics concerning public school curricula and policies, focusing on instruction in critical race theory, transgender rights, and the broader question of how much control parents should have over their children's education. Two incidents have amplified Youngkin's message: the sexual assault of a girl in a Loudon County school restroom by a fellow student whom the girl's parents have said is "gender fluid," and McAuliffe's own debate assertion that parents shouldn't tell public schools what to teach. Even in the Democratic stronghold of Northern Virginia, Youngkin's support of greater parental rights and more conservative gender policies seems to resonate.
That's counterintuitive because social issues were long thought to be a major reason increasingly purple suburbs turned away from the GOP before and during the presidency of former President Donald Trump. Now it seems waging the culture war has helped Youngkin make inroads in the suburbs while simultaneously revving up the conservative base.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Perhaps Youngkin overreached by weighing in on controversial books, or maybe Trump will travel to Virginia and vindicate the Democrats' strategy of obsessing over him. But if Virginia turns out to be as competitive as the public polling says, there will be a strong Republican temptation to replicate Youngkin's campaign strategy in places that are a lot less blue than the commonwealth has become over the last decade. And if a culture war focus helps in the suburbs, Republicans will definitely try to use it to wipe out Democrats' narrow congressional majorities.
That would be shrewd, because people care deeply about what their children are taught in school and about their physical safety while attending. These aren't abstractions or distractions from pocketbook issues. For parents, curricula and school policies are the kind of issues that decide where they will live. They could certainly influence how they vote.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
W. James Antle III is the politics editor of the Washington Examiner, the former editor of The American Conservative, and author of Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?.
-
Cytomegalovirus can cause permanent birth defects
The Explainer The virus can show no symptoms in adults
-
Summer in Seattle: Outdoor dining like nowhere else
Feature Featuring a patio with a waterfront view, a beer garden, and more
-
Ari Aster revisits the pandemic, Adam Sandler tees off again and Lamb Chop gets an origin story in July movies
the week recommends The month's film releases include 'Eddington,' 'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'Shari & Lamb Chop'
-
The Supreme Court and Congress have Planned Parenthood in their crosshairs
Talking Points Trump's budget bill and the court's ruling threaten abortion access
-
How will Trump's megabill affect you?
Today's Big Question Republicans have passed the 'big, beautiful bill' through Congress
-
How successful would Elon Musk's third party be?
Today's Big Question Musk has vowed to start a third party after falling out with Trump
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
How Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral run will change the Democratic Party
Talking Points The candidate poses a challenge to the party's 'dinosaur wing'
-
Is Trump's military parade 'just a parade'?
Talking Point Critics see an 'echo of authoritarianism'
-
Is Trump's LA troop deployment about order or authoritarianism?
Talking Points President: 'We're going to have troops everywhere.'
-
Musk: What did he achieve in Washington?
Feature Elon Musk leaves his government job but not after bruising his image, slashing aid and firing thousands