‘You’re a hypocrite’: Georgia Democrat calls out own party for opposing school choice

A Democratic representative in Georgia has called out her own party as hypocritical over its stance against school choice.

“Why is no one fighting for young Black minds? Why isn’t that one of the things that we’re fighting for?” state Rep. Mesha Mainor said, in reference Democratic votes opposing a school choice bill in Georgia. “I actually say you’re a hypocrite. That’s what I tell them directly. You are being a hypocrite.

“There are state lawmakers right now where their children are in schools that they’re not even zoned for… They’re lying about their address – state lawmakers – but they won’t vote for this bill.”

Mainor says that she is supporting school choice because it’s best for kids.

She notes that in her own district there are schools with only 3% of student at or above grade level reading scores and just 3% math efficiency by the eighth grade. 

Last month, a fellow Democrat in the state Senate said on Twitter he would write a $1,000 check to any candidate who opposed Mainor in a primary. The post was “liked” by Democrat state House Minority Whip Sam Park.

“All I need is a name,” said the post by of Democratic state Sen. Josh McLaurin, which featured a photo of the check with the Bank of America logo on it with a potential candidates name left blank.

The threat, however, did not cow Mainor, but made her redouble her accusations against progressives in her own party who critics say cowardly sacrifice the kids in the district on the altar of the teachers unions.

“Democrat lawmakers (not constituents) will cry about abortion rights, wail for transgender rights, demand AAPI protections, and create legislation for antisemitism,” Mainor said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Yet, if a Black independent female Democrat legislator who grew up in poverty wants to give the bottom 25% of children attending failing schools a second chance at education infuriates some of my fellow Democrats to the point they are soliciting my opposition — that’s exactly the problem.”

The Journal-Constitution predicts that the primary fight for Mainor will really be a proxy fight over education policy in Georgia.

Education choice champion, Corey DeAngelis, is already helping her fundraise by sending out solicitations for her campaign amongst his Twitter followers, who will certainly be drawn by her pro-school choice message.

In an editorial, Mainor predicted that her victory in the next primary and general election in Georgia could have important implications for Democrats around the country. 

“Can a Georgia Democrat agenda be fulfilled if we refuse to work with the other party? (…) Are we going to keep telling these (underprivileged and underserved) families to wait and see if we can get it right in the next 50 years?” asked Mainor.