Democrats could create 'angry' 'single-issue' voters in 2028 if they remove school choice, CEO warns

The CEO of Americas largest school choice advocacy organization is warning Democrats that abolishing existing universal school choice programs could trigger a major voter backlash in the 2028 elections.

"Put yourself into the shoes of a lower-income mother who is a single parent. She has two or three kids that now just got access into a great private school or a great homeschooling environment that she couldn't afford otherwise without a state program like in Texas, and suddenly, the new wave of people that maybe she even voted for is saying, 'I want to take those options away from your kid immediately and put them back into the school that they've hated,'" American Federation for Children CEO Tommy Schultz told Fox News Digital. "That you've been begging the school district to change policies about … You're now going to tell them you got to go back to that school? They're going to become a single-issue voter in 2028 and vote you out of office."

"I think a lot of these folks that just won office need to be really careful with trying to threaten taking away a family from an educational setting that their kids are thriving in that they're loving, that they're feeling safe in," he added. "That's fundamentally what's at issue here."

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Schultzs comments followed recent midterm election gains by Democrats that have put landmark Republican education policies into question. Republican governors across the country previously passed universal school choice and parental rights measures as post-COVID culture war debates intensified and enrollments declined in major metropolitan public school districts.

In Texas, Democratic Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa signaled her intent to reverse school choice expansion upon taking office.

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"It is a victory for the parents of Texas. We are taking our childrens education back from a government that has failed them," Hinojosa said during her victory speech. "Schools will not be taken out of our control, shuttered or suffocated. Being a parent is hard enough without carrying the burdens of a governments failures. To the children of Texas: Your schools will not close."

The renewed clash over vouchers comes as major urban districts navigate shifting enrollment dynamics. Big-city public school systems across the nation have struggled to retain students as families seek alternative options outside their neighborhood assignments.

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In Texas, for example, the Houston Independent School District board previously voted unanimously to close 12 campuses, citing declining enrollment.

"On day one, I will fire [Texas Education Agency Commissioner] Mike Morath, and we will work tirelessly