BY Evie Blad

Voters in three southern states head to the polls Tuesday for governors races that have cast a spotlight on contentious debates over education issues like choice, funding, and teacher pay.

Political prognosticators often watch the off-year elections —in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi—for signs of voters’ attitudes going into the presidential election the next year. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have campaigned for Republican candidates in all three states this year, and those candidates have run television ads that emphasize their ties to the national politicians.

Voters in those states—which all favored Trump in the 2016 election—must weigh that popularity along with priorities that hit close to home, like how to build an education system that supports their economies.

Source: Education Is on the Ballot in These Governors’ Races – Politics K-12 – Education Week