The American Federation for Children, which joined its political affiliates and allies to spend $9 million in the 2022 election season to back political candidates supporting school choice, is launching a super PAC called AFC Victory Fund to target state legislators who oppose school choice for students.
The organization states that in 2022, it succeeded in 277 out of 368 races, “a 75% success rate that included the defeat of at least 40 anti-school choice incumbents.”
“Coming off our best election cycle ever, the tectonic plates have shifted decisively in favor of educational freedom, and we’re just getting started,” AFC CEO Tommy Schultz celebrated. “With AFC Victory Fund, we are taking our work to the next level, intending to invest at least $10 million in state-level races to ensure the interests of parents are represented at ballot boxes in key districts from coast to coast. With $6 million already committed, we are shaping up to have our best cash position ever ahead of the primary season.
“If you’re a candidate or lawmaker who opposes school choice and freedom in education – you’re a target,” he continued. “If you’re a champion for parents – we’ll be your shield. Especially when we see news that even teachers unions bosses are choosing private schools for their own kids, we are motivated to ensure all families have those options available for their own children, not just for the elected or politically connected.”
Ryan Cantrell, the organization’s director of government affairs, told The Washington Examiner:
There is endless amounts of money that the unions have to fight to keep school choice from expanding even further, but that’s why AFC is excited about this [PAC] because it gives us more flexibility, it gives us more ability to have an impact on some of those places where the union grip is still too strong. This structure is going to allow us to scale up and be even more nimble, be more effective, than we have been previously.
“Republicans, Democrats, independents, all agree that parents should have more options for their kids,” he continued. “And so that’s what we’re really trying to seize on right now — the majority of parents really want to see this happen.”
In 2020, as he was running for president, Joe Biden said, “When we divert public funds to private schools, we undermine the entire public education system. We’ve got to prioritize investing in our public schools, so every kid in America gets a fair shot. That’s why I oppose vouchers.”