WASHINGTON – Republicans are leaning into the burgeoning battle over critical race theory, betting that the hot-button issue will not only energize their base, but help bring back some of the swing suburban voters they lost in the last election.
While the party has focused to varying degrees on several contentious cultural issues in the six months since President Joe Biden took office — ranging from coronavirus pandemic restrictions to transgender youth in sports to migrants at the border — top Republican officials and operatives say critical race theory is among the topics that are likely to have a longer shelf life heading into the 2022 midterm elections.
They argue that the issue can be targeted towards key voting blocs, most notably suburban parents, and also fit into the GOP’s broader strategy of portraying the Democrats who control Washington as shifting too far to the left.
