“The race for Virginia governor has emerged as the nation’s first prominent test of voter reaction to the debate around critical race theory, with the GOP nominee seeking to tap into visceral pushback, largely among Republican voters, to the idea that America is structurally tilted in favor of white people. Glenn Youngkin, a private-equity executive and political newcomer, is one of many GOP candidates nationwide to call for a ban on teaching the disputed academic framework in schools. The outcome of Mr. Youngkin’s race this November will give clues to the power that the issue holds ahead of the country’s midterm elections next year. Mr. Youngkin is responding to a furor over race in Loudoun County, including how teachers talk about America’s racial history.”

“GOP strategists acknowledge that it is unclear whether opposition to critical race theory appeals to voters they need to win back, particularly those who lean Republican but vote infrequently, independents and softer Biden supporters, including some suburban women. ‘It isn’t really popping up in our districts,’ said Sarah Chamberlain, president of the Republican Main Street Partnership, a centrist GOP group not connected to the Youngkin campaign. More prominent in the group’s polls and focus groups of suburban women around the country, she said, are issues such as controlling the coronavirus, returning children to the classroom, and jobs” – Wall Street Journal.