Central Virginia Times

Emily Brewer is one of seven candidates who were endorsed by the American Federation for Children (AFC) to win in the Virginia primaries held on June 20.

She will run for a seat to represent Senate District 17 on the Nov. 7 ballot.

"I am humbled by the confidence that the voters of the 17th Senate District showed in me today," Brewer wrote in a June 20 tweet. "I promise that as the Republican nominee, I will work with Gov. (Glenn) Youngkin (R-VA) to cut taxes, be tough on crime in our communities, and stand up for Virginia families and parents.

“It’s happening,” school choice activist Corey DeAngelis tweeted after the Virginia primaries were held on June 20, according to Old Dominion News. He joined the American Federation for Children in celebrating the seven out of eight total candidates endorsed by the AFC who won in the state’s primary election and will be on the November 2023 general election ballot for positions in the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate.

The seven candidates included Brewer, as well as Tara Durant, John Stirrup, Wren Williams, Lee Peters, Mark Earley and Mike Dillender.

Brewer (R) is a current member of the Virginia House of Delegates, according to Ballotpedia, having been elected in 2018. She represents District 64, serving her second term after being reelected in 2021. She will run against Democrat Clinton Jenkins in the November election.

An American Federation for Children press release celebrated the news, congratulating the winners and the growing focus of the state and residents on the issue of school choice for their families and students. “The VFC (Virginia Federation for Children) PAC (political action committee) invested more than $300,000 in state races to support school choice proponents during the 2023 primary,” according to the press release.

The AFC is an organization that fights for school choice rights for all families at the state and federal level.

“When funding for education follows students to the school of their choice, families win,” according to AFC's website. “We believe all parents should have a wide range of high-quality educational options to choose from, regardless of income.”

According to EdChoice, Virginia has varying types of options for school choice available to K-12 students. They have intradistrict school choice, allowing families to transfer within their district, and also offer a private school scholarship program. This scholarship is open to families earning less than 300% of the federal poverty line, or students with special needs. The program allocates only $25 million annually to students, an average of $2,918 per student scholarship, which equals about 23 percent of the normal per pupil state spending.

“The education establishment in Virginia has fought the ability for parents to select the best education options for their children, but parents made their wishes clear again at the ballot box this week,” AFC National Director of Government Affairs Ryan Cantrell said, according to the press release. “The victories tonight are just the first step in bringing true school choice to Virginia, and parents are well-positioned to elect a school choice majority in both chambers in November’s general election.”