Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said he believes his election win was in part because he listened to parents on the campaign trail, according to a Jan. 25 opinion piece he wrote for The Washington Post.

Youngkin wrote that his election to office is evidence of the fact that parents want a say in their children's education. 

"On the campaign trail, I listened to parents and, as governor, I will continue to listen," Youngkin said. "School boards throughout the Commonwealth should do the same. To parents, I say: We respect you. And we will continue to work to empower you in the education and well-being of your children."

On his first day in office, Youngkin issued an executive order allowing the use of facemasks in schools to be optional. He wrote about his belief that parents should be the ones making decisions in the best interest of their children's health, and pointed to the negative effects of distance learning and masking, such as learning loss, rising anxiety and depression, hindered early development and an inability to hear teachers clearly.

A Unicef report found that government-mandated lockdowns and school closures negatively impact children, leading to more fear, stress, anxiety, depression, alcohol and drug abuse, loss of learning, and poor physical activity and sleeping habits.

CatholicVote Political Director Josh Mercer voiced his support for Youngkin's policies. 

"Gov. Youngkin is absolutely correct about his own state of Virginia," Mercer said. "What Youngkin has to say about Virginia voters is also true of the American electorate as a whole. School choice, parental rights, and the dignity of the American family are now some of the most central issues in the upcoming midterms. They are likely to remain key issues in the 2024 presidential election as well." 

"Education isn’t a matter of public policy to be determined by unelected bureaucrats," Mercer said. "It’s about the welfare of our own kids, and everyone has come to realize all at once that just as no one is more important in the lives of kids than their own moms and dads, nothing should be more important to moms and dads than their own kids’ education and upbringing. That’s the Catholic position – but I think it’s also a deeply American sentiment."

FOX 5 News reports that seven Virginia school boards have filed a joint lawsuit against Youngkin's executive order allowing parents to opt out of mask mandates for their children. The lawsuit claims that school boards should retain the authority to require masks in schools.