Press Release

New Poll: Voters Overwhelmingly Reject Elected Officials Who Are School Choice Hypocrites

Voters do not take kindly to politicians who oppose school choice for others but exercise it for their own families.
According to a September poll from RealClear Opinion Research, polling more than 2,000 registered voters, 62% of voters said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who opposes school choice policies yet sent his or her own child to a private school. The majority of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents agreed that such stance would make them less likely to vote for the candidate.
Statement from Tommy Schultz, CEO of the American Federation for Children:
“Unfortunately, we too often see politicians who bow to special interests and block expanded educational opportunity for families, despite exercising that freedom for themselves and their own children. From Presidents of the United States, to Governors, to state lawmakers and school board members, many in such places of privilege disregard the needs of families who want nothing but the same opportunity to access an educational environment that meets their own children’s needs.
We at the American Federation for Children will continue to stand up for all families and fight for every child to have access to the educational environment that best fits their needs, regardless of family income or ZIP code. And we will shed light on the hypocrisy that locks doors of opportunity for the less fortunate.”
Full details:
Question: 
If an elected official or political candidate sends their own children to private school but opposes school choice for other families, would that make you more likely to vote for that candidate, less likely to vote for that candidate, or would it not make a difference?
All:
Less likely: 62%
More likely: 9%
No change: 20%
Party ID:
Democrat: 56% less likely / 13% more likely / 22% no change
Republican: 66% less likely / 8% more likely / 19% no change
Independent: 65% less likely / 6% more likely / 19% no change
Date: September 22 – 24, 2021

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