Whitmer defeats Dixon in Michigan gubernatorial election

Tudor Dixon labored to make the election about dad and mom’ rights and faculty selection, however ultimately, Michigan voters selected Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who ran on her report relatively than an bold schooling plan for sweeping change. 

​​The incumbent Democrat touted her accomplishments, together with closing the varsity funding hole and tripling the variety of college literacy coaches, however she confronted criticism over selections she made in 2020 round pandemic-related college closures and masks mandates. 

When the Related Press known as the race for Whitmer at 1:20 a.m. Wednesday, she was main with practically 52% of the vote.  

“Although there was frustration throughout the pandemic, voters appreciated how exhausting she labored to extend the funding accessible for public colleges,” stated Jenna Bednar,  professor of political science and public coverage on the College of Michigan.

“She didn’t run on a significant transformation of the schooling system” like Dixon did, Bednar stated. “She didn’t run saying we have to revamp the curriculum, or ban books, or hold sure concepts out of the classroom. Voters responded to that. They stated, ‘Yeah, we don’t have to go there.’” 

Whitmer’s win is proof that voters desire a extra conventional set of schooling insurance policies and platforms, stated Sarah Reckhow, affiliate professor of political science at Michigan State College. 

All through the marketing campaign, Whitmer and Dixon provided vastly differing views on college security, personal college selection, curriculum, Michigan’s third-grade studying retention regulation, and extra.

Reckhow stated it’s doable that Dixon’s plan for personal college selection didn’t resonate with voters as a result of they’ve been glad with their native public colleges even by way of the pandemic. 

She additionally famous that Whitmer’s marketing campaign centered on conventional Democratic instructional values equivalent to rising college funding and offering extra early childhood applications. 

A second time period offers Whitmer, 51, one other probability to advance her agenda of paying academics retention bonuses and piloting a home-based model of the Nice Begin Readiness preschool program. She included these gadgets in her 2022-23 college support funds proposal however was unable to get them by way of the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Her skill to push them by way of now will depend on the make-up of the Legislature. Redistricting that happened earlier this yr had many political observers anticipating Democrats to achieve energy after years of Republican management of the state Home and Senate. 

A Democratic Legislature would imply assist for much more college funding, significantly for the neediest districts, stated Michael Montgomery, a political scientist and marketing consultant who was chief analyst on the 1989-91 Residents Schooling Committee to Enhance Public Schooling in Detroit.  

“Principally, I believe she’ll keep the course, making extra progress if she has a Democratic Legislature and never making progress with a Republican Legislature,” Montgomery stated. “She’s going to maintain working.” 

Tracie Mauriello covers schooling coverage for Chalkbeat Detroit and Bridge Michigan. Attain her at tmauriello@chalkbeat.org.