The radical Left are still licking their wounds after their major defeats in the 2024 elections. They may be repeating history again this November.
As Democrats are in danger of losing a vital election over this one issue.
The battle over transgender bathroom policies in Virginia schools is shaping up to be a defining issue in the 2025 race for statewide offices, with Republican candidates championing parental concerns and Democrats treading lightly or staying silent.
Fox News Digital reached out to candidates vying for Virginia’s governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general positions, seeking their stance on transgender students’ access to bathrooms and locker rooms. The inquiry follows a turbulent month where five Virginia school districts earned a “high-risk” label from the Department of Education for allowing students to use facilities matching their gender identity.
The controversy gained further traction after two high school boys were suspended for alleged s*xual harassment after objecting to a transgender male – who’s actually a biological female – using their locker room.
Republican gubernatorial hopeful Winsome Earle-Sears was unequivocal in her stance. “Biological differences matter,” she said to Fox News Digital. “It is not political. It’s common sense, and somebody has to stand up and speak for parents.”
Her running mate, GOP lieutenant governor candidate John Reid, was equally direct, condemning the boys’ suspension. “Students shouldn’t be punished for speaking up about fairness and safety in their own locker room,” Reid said.
“This is what happens when unchecked ideology overrides common sense—kids get silenced instead of protected.”
Incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares also jumped into the fray, criticizing a Virginia school district for “weaponizing Title IX to punish male students expressing discomfort at being forced to share a locker room with a female student.” He framed the issue as a misuse of federal protections to silence dissent.
Democrats, meanwhile, have been noticeably reserved. Abigail Spanberger, the former congresswoman running against Earle-Sears for governor, sidestepped a direct response on bathroom policies.
Her spokesperson instead highlighted her priorities as a mother and former law enforcement officer. “As a mom of three daughters in Virginia public schools, a former federal law enforcement officer, and a candidate for governor, Abigail’s priority is ensuring that all of Virginia’s kids are safe and supported,” the spokesperson said.
They went on to criticize Earle-Sears for stoking division and aligning with threats to cut school funding, adding that Spanberger would focus on protecting education budgets, tackling teacher shortages, and improving Virginia’s lagging math recovery rankings.
The spokesperson also asked, “What’s [the] deadline to get you something on the Trump admin threatening to pull funding from those five Northern Virginia school divisions?”
Other Democratic candidates, including state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, running for lieutenant governor, and Jay Jones, a candidate for attorney general, did not respond to repeated inquiries from Fox News Digital, leaving their positions on the issue unclear.
This isn’t the first time Virginia’s education policies have stirred political waves. In 2021, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe’s debate comment that parents shouldn’t dictate school curricula was widely seen as a factor in his defeat to Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.
The current bathroom policy dispute seems to tap into similar tensions, with Republicans framing it as a straightforward issue of fairness.
Josh Hetzler, the attorney for the families of the two suspended boys, called it an “80/20 issue,” noting that “at least 80% of people think that this is just a matter of common sense.” He added, “For time immemorial, we’ve had boys and boys locker rooms and girls and girls locker rooms.”
The Department of Education’s decision to place five Northern Virginia school districts on “reimbursement status” has raised the stakes, requiring them to pay expenses upfront and seek federal reimbursements later. Education Secretary Linda McMahon justified the move, stating, “States and school districts cannot openly violate federal law while simultaneously receiving federal funding with no additional scrutiny.”
As Virginia heads toward the 2025 elections, the bathroom policy debate is exposing a clear divide. Republicans are seizing the moment to rally behind parents and traditional norms, while Democrats appear to be focusing on education funding and student achievement, avoiding direct engagement with the contentious issue.
