MANASSAS, Va. — Gwen Walz may be new to the national political scene, but in her first event she headlined since her husband was selected as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, the former educator wasn’t afraid to speak up against their Republican rivals.
Gwen Walz appeared before elected officials and a crowd of teachers in Manassas for the Educators for Harris-Walz event.
While she focused on rallying teachers and pushing for a better educational system this election, Walz also addressed recently surfaced comments made by JD Vance at 2021 Center for Christian Virtue leadership in 2021. In his remarks, Vance said teachers without children “really disturbs” and “disorients” him.
Gwen Walz said she took it personally as she explained her fertility treatment journey with her husband to start their own family.
“We do not take kindly to folks like JD Vance telling us when or how to start our family,” Gwen Walz said. “So let me use my teacher voice. Mr. Vance, how about you mind your own business!”
She focused the majority of her speech on education and how it’s important to have a “fresh start” and be “ready for a new way forward.”
Gwen Walz and her husband met as educators in Nebraska. She spent most of her career in Minnesota where she also taught in prison settings and pushed for criminal justice reform.
“Coming to Manassas, to Prince William, at the beginning of the school year shows Virginia is important and it shows the education issues are really going to be an important feature of the campaign,” U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, said.
A recent Roanoke College poll shows Harris holding a slim lead over Trump in the Commonwealth.
In the last November election in Virginia, education became a key factor for voters. A 70% majority of registered voters found education as a “very important” factor for the Virginia legislature last year, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll.
Virginia became a flashpoint for hotly debated topics such as the so-called parental rights movement, trans rights and book bans.
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin helped lead the way in some of the issues including vetoing a bill this year that would’ve prevented book bans in schools. His office also issued new guidelines that rolled back some accommodations for trans students in 2023.
Teachers in attendance at the event said they want the campaign to focus on certain aspects of education.
“Well, I want no banning of books and supporting teachers and salaries,” former teacher Deanna Bayer told WUSA9.
“I want to see policy that reflect the compassion that's required to make that positive, safe, and accepting place for students to go,” special education teacher Lisanne Boddye said.