With all of the country's attention on 2020, it's easy to forget that there are other major elections less than 24 hours away! Tuesday, a big swath of the country will be heading to the polls to decide a slew of key races -- from governor on down to school board. And any of them could make a life-or-death difference for the unborn, what your kids learn at school, the kind of freedom you have to practice your faith, and so much more.
For three states -- Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi -- Tuesday is about as important as it gets. New governors, lieutenant governors, and attorneys general seats are all up for grabs. And if you're wondering how much that matters, just think back to earlier this year with the infanticide debate. In Virginia and New Jersey, the stakes are just as high, with lots of meaningful local elections like mayor, city council, and school board. If you homeschool or send your kids to private school, let me tell you: your school board vote still matters. FRC's Cathy Ruse found that out for herself in Fairfax County, Virginia.
"My kids go to Catholic schools, and that was the center of our universe. I never focused [on our public schools] until I heard that the Fairfax County School Board voted to let boys into the girls' bathrooms. The vote was 10-1. Was there only one sane person on the Fairfax County School Board? I had to find out.
So I began attending school board meetings. And there I saw moms and dads begging the school board to stop threatening their child's privacy and safety in intimate spaces and on the sports field. They pleaded with the board to stop the pornographic reading assignments. They tearfully asked board members to respect their family's religious beliefs.
These were my neighbors, fighting to stop their school board from playing sex politics with their children. This shouldn't happen anywhere in America. I resolved that it wasn't going to happen in my county, on my watch, without a fight."
Tuesday, the people of Fairfax County -- like so many counties around the nation -- have a choice about the kind of community they want to live in, what kind of values they want their children and their children's friends to be taught. That's no small thing.
Then there are the state legislatures like Virginia's, where Republicans are barely hanging on to control. By a one-vote margin in the state house and senate, conservatives have been able to hold the line on issues like life. Losing either one would be a death sentence for innocent children under Governor Ralph Northam (D), who has absolutely no problem supporting infanticide as long as the babies are "kept comfortable." Radical abortion groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL understand the significance of the election, sinking more than $2 million into Virginia's races alone.
As NPR points out, these seats matter more than ever. "For the first time in decades, the Supreme Court may be on the verge of substantially rolling back the right to an abortion guaranteed in the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, and others. A change like that would give governors and state lawmakers the final say for women living in their states."
Down in Kentucky, our good friend Governor Matt Bevin (R) is in a real dogfight for reelection, despite all he's done for religious liberty and pro-lifers. There, too, abortion seems to be the defining issue. In a state where people are overwhelmingly pro-life, Bevin's record -- signing 10 bills protecting women and the unborn -- may his best closing argument.
In any of these states, your vote could make all the difference. Believe it or not, Ballotpedia points out, 88 state legislative races in 2018 were decided by a margin of 0.5 percentage points or less! That's 100 votes or less. Does your voice count? You bet it does. To help you understand where your leaders stand, FRC Action partnered with iVoterGuide to produce guides for Kentucky, Mississippi, and Virginia. Access them here. For a deeper look at why Christians need to be involved, check out the new publication by FRC's David Closson: "Biblical Principles for Political Engagement: Worldview, Issues, and Voting."
