‘You will likely lose your next election,’ school choice PAC warns GOP opponents

A major player in the fight for school choice is spending big ahead of the 2026 midterm elections to unseat Republicans who oppose educational freedom.

The American Federation for Children Victory Fund will spend $15 million across 200 races, Fox News reported, as it lays claim to being the only single-issue political action committee furthering school choice. 

Tommy Schultz, the federation’s president, said the fund is building on its successes since it launched in 2023.

The Dallas-based organization and PAC supported candidates in Texas in 2024 who primaried anti-school choice Republicans, unseating 10 of 14 incumbents. Months later, the Lone Star State approved a $1 billion school choice program after failed attempts in previous years. 

Last year, the fund backed Matt Van Epps in Tennessee, who defeated Jody Barrett in the Republican primary and now serves in the state House of Representatives. Barrett had opposed school choice, including the universal plan the state passed last year.

“Historic victories in places like Texas set the tone to remind every Republican that opposes school choice: you will likely lose your next election,” Schultz told Fox.

The fund is also engaging in races in Arizona, a state with a Republican legislature that supports school choice and a Democrat governor who opposes it. Opponents are currently gathering signatures to restrict the state’s education savings account program, one of the largest in the nation.

“We’re going to be playing heavily there,” Schultz said.

School choice has expanded dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It now exists in 35 states, serving more than 1.5 million students. A federal school choice program is set to take effect next year, expanding access to more states and families.

Schultz said the midterm elections in November will be crucial to sustaining the growth of education freedom.

“The 2026 election cycle is about cementing the monumental victories of school choice in the past five years. We’ve passed 80 laws in 30 states that have essentially tripled the number of students utilizing a private school choice program out in the states.”