Last week in a move that surprised no one following recent events, the Prince William County GOP X page made a post endorsing Woodbridge District School Board candidate Jaylen Custis. 

Custis, a former Democrat, was disqualified from receiving the Democratic endorsement due to an appearance at a Moms for Liberty event. Since then, he has been running as an independent candidate. 

When asked about the endorsement, he provided the PW Perspective with the following statement:

“I would just like to say that at the end of the day it is about getting our schools on track,” he said. “We have to address the safety and security concerns inside our schools. Such as bullying, weapons and drugs getting inside our schools, etc. We have to address the poor infrastructure that our schools in the Woodbridge district face. Along with the poor test scores that we have seen.”

He continued, “We must work with everyone whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or whatever. It’s all about providing the best possible education for all students inside Prince William County. Education is not a partisan issue.” 

This endorsement comes at a time when our public school system is under attack from the Republican Party. Currently in Virginia, Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin has pushed policies that restrict the rights of students, eliminated equity initiatives, and even banned the teaching of important subjects. 

Incumbent Democrat Loree Williams and independent Shantell Rock are the other candidates running for the school board in the Woodbridge District. Early voting begins on Friday, September 22.