Teachers unions have 'quietly' spent millions on GOP primaries in 32 states: report

Teacher unions have strategically been pouring donations into Republican political campaigns, according to a report from the Daily Signal.

The Daily Signal reported on local affiliates of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and National Education Association (NEA), the largest teachers union in the United States, increasing donations to Republican state-level legislative candidates over the past six years in primary races. 

The outlet reported that teachers' unions have "spent the last six years quietly slipping millions of dollars" into Republican campaigns.

"According to databases maintained by Open Secrets and Follow the Money, the largest teachers unions in 32 states have drastically increased donations to Republican state house, assembly, and senate candidates since 2018—donating up to $117,700 to individual candidates in a Republican primary," The Daily Signal reported.

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According to Open Secrets, the latest data shows that the total given to Democrats in the 2021-2022 election cycle from teachers unions' Political Action Committees (PAC) is over $4 million. Only $24,000 was given to Republicans. 

US Vice President Kamala Harris, right, waves with Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, at the National Education Association 2022 annual meeting and representative assembly in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Photographer: Tannen Maury/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Photographer: Tannen Maury/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Teachers unions oppose school choice because they claim it siphons off taxpayer funding that is being allocated to other educational options and instead could be used to boost teachers' salaries, invest in public school facilities, and recruit more teachers. 

Democratic gubernatorial, congressional, and state-level representative candidates tend to support teacher union-backed education policies.

Although the NEA and AFT are the largest donors to Democratic campaigns, their donations to certain Republican candidates raise implications.

"Both unions appear to have adopted a different donation strategy over the last decade: Instead of only investing in Democratic campaigns, they also put money behind the unions’ preferred candidates in Republican primaries," the Daily Signal reported.

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Teachers unions donated "hundreds of thousands of dollars" to certain Republican candidates’ state legislative primaries in states that tout school choice and parental rights bills, including Alabama, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas.

The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy fellow Jason Bedrick told The Daily Signal that "the unions are terrified that parents are clamoring for more education choice, so they’re doing everything they can to stop it."

Teachers unions donated "hundreds of thousands of dollars" to certain Republican candidates’ state legislative primaries in states that tout school choice and parental rights bills. ((Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images))

He continued, "It’s obvious what’s going on here: In red states, or even red areas of blue states, that means supporting candidates who might disagree with them on other issues but who can be relied upon to oppose policies that expand education freedom for families."

While the teachers' union publicly endorsed Democrats, they have given support to Republicans with a track record of voting against school choice measures.

Furthermore, campaign finance reports posted on X by American Federation For Children senior fellow Corey DeAngelis show that the AFT donated $25,000 to the PAC "Defend Rural Texas PAC."

The PAC contributed to two Republican lawmakers, state Representatives DeWayne Burns and Ernest Bailes who voted against school choice measures. 

Their primary challengers support school choice measures. GOP candidate Helen Kerwin, who is challenging DeWayne Burns, was endorsed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Janis Holt, who seeks to replace Bailes, is endorsed by Abbott and Trump. 

Kerwin and Holt both defeated the incumbents on the primary on Tuesday..

The exterior of the Texas State Capitol is seen on September 05, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

DeAngelis told Fox News Digital that the "radical leftist teachers union is trying to hide their support because they know their public endorsement has become the political kiss of death for Republicans."

"The Texas affiliate of Randi Weingarten’s teachers union publicly endorsed a bunch of House Republicans in 2022. But this year, although they made 77 public endorsements, none of them were Republicans. Instead, leaked evidence reveals they are supporting ‘Republicans’ in the primaries who voted against school choice in more private ways including phone-banking and funding a PAC that contributes to some of them," he added. 

The NEA nor AFT immediately responded to a request for comment.

Joshua Q. Nelson is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

Joshua focuses on politics, education policy ranging from the local to the federal level, and the parental uprising in education.

Joining Fox News Digital in 2019, he previously graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Political Science and is an alum of the National Journalism Center and the Heritage Foundation's Young Leaders Program. 

Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Joshua can be followed on Twitter and LinkedIn.