A controversy roiling in northern Virginia (NoVA) illustrates the dirty, clandestine alliance between abortionists, the political jurisdictions they’ve bought, and the use of societal infrastructure to advance pre-natal killing.

Fairfax County, Virginia, is adjacent to Washington, DC. Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) operates all schools in the county. All members of its nominally nonpartisan school board were “backed” by Democrats. Earlier this month, news broke (see here and here) that a high school social worker had facilitated two minors’ abortions, making the appointments and paying for them. Supposedly, one minor was told she had no other “choice.”

Among the few remaining pro-life laws on the books in Virginia is a requirement for parental consent to a minor’s abortion. Failure to obtain it, except by judicial bypass, is a misdemeanor. The parents of these children neither consented nor were even informed.

When the story broke, FCPS went into defense mode, announcing an “investigation.” Given the violation of Virginia law, it would seem the “investigation” should be undertaken by Steve Descano, the local woke “Commonwealth Attorney” (country prosecutor). So far, crickets. (One would have hoped Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares would have opened an investigation by now — of FCPS for the abortion and Descano for dereliction of duty). FCPS also denied knowledge of the event, even though there appears to be a recording that it knew of the abortions at least as early as May.

The scandal threatens to throw a wrench into state politics, specifically, the governor’s race. Virginia and New Jersey elect their governors the year after presidential elections and the outcomes are often seen as evaluations of the incumbent President.

Pro-abortion Democrat Abigail Spanberger hoped to cruise to an easy victory in her largely “vibes” campaign against incumbent pro-life Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. The Democratic scenario was to take over the governorship and expand its tenuous hold on the Legislature to push through a state constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion-on-demand through birth. The amendment already passed the Legislature once; if it is re-enacted by a new Legislature, it then goes to popular referendum.

Spanberger flailed when asked about the Fairfax high school abortions. Her non-answer (here) was to declare that “as a mother…, I want to be involved in all of the decisions that my daughters make, including what they wear to prom.” That line was preceded by an extended defense of the supposedly moderate nature of the Constitutional amendment she’s pushing, which experts admit would make parental knowledge/consent laws involving a minor’s abortion unconstitutional. And while Spanberger wants to have input about prom dresses, she evaded the question of whether a parent could deny “decisions… daughters make” (emphasis added). To date, she’s never said FCPS acted wrongly.

The ex-Congresswoman also got pushback from party “progressives” for an answer that did not seem a full-throated defense of biological boys in girls’ school spaces (like restrooms and locker rooms), another issue pitting northern Virginia school boards (pro) against local parents (con). Since then, earlier videos (like this) have surfaced with Spanberger announcing her support for physician-assisted suicide and opposition to the rights of religiously-affiliated institutions (e.g., Catholic hospitals) to practice medicine according to the faith and dictates of conscience, i.e., not participate in abortions, sterilizations, or genital mutilation of minors.

Spanberger’s and Democrats’ fear is being “McAuliffed,” a replay of the 2021 gubernatorial election. Back then, Democrat Terry McAuliffe — a Clinton family protégé — banked on an easy coast back into the governor’s chair against relatively unknown Republican Glenn Youngkin. At the height of COVID, as parents were discovering just what their kids were being taught in schools, McAuliffe derisively dismissed claims of parents’ rights to oversee their child’s education. Youngkin turned the election into a referendum on the rights of parents (being labeled at the time as potential “domestic terrorists” by the Biden Justice Department) and won. (Virginia governors are barred from serving consecutive terms.)

This time, the stakes are higher. Not only would parents’ rights become an albatross for Spanberger, it could also restore Republican control to at least one house of the Legislature, killing Democrat dreams of an abortion-on-demand amendment to the State Constitution, making Virginia the most permissive abortion haven in the South.

The possibilities of a “parents rights II” election are there. Even before the FCPS scandal of facilitating abortions in violation of state law, a number of northern Virginia school boards were at odds with parents over “transgender access” policies, i.e., biological boys in girls’ spaces, including sexual abuse cases at schools and recreational facilities. Spanberger’s Jacob/Esau act — talking soothingly and with a smile while espousing the pro-abortion/pro-gender-ideology agendas — could backfire.

Or not. Though she’s pro-life and has many factors going for her (her sex, her race, her immigrant experience, her military service, her incumbency) Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ anemic campaign visibility does not help. Northern Virginia’s liberal Democratic orientation — especially given local fired federal workers’ animosity towards President Trump — is far more vigorous than the Republican campaign to date, and that region generates a large blue vote.

That said, Earle-Sears showed some wind in her sails last week. Next door, Loudoun County, roiled over a multi-year investigation into sexual assault on girls by pretend boys in its “gender neutral” facilities (for which the father of one of the girls was arrested on initiative of the Loudoun County School Board for protesting the situation), doubled down in its gender ideology. Two boys who protested a “trans-boy” (i.e., girl) in their locker room (who videoed them undressing) were suspended from school for “harassment.” Think about that: the boys are now labeled as “sexual harassers” for being uncomfortable about disrobing in front of a girl pretending to be a boy. The punishment of the victims, together with the decision of five NoVA school boards (Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William) to fight the Trump administration’s order to rescind their “trans” policies or risk loss of federal funding, mobilized both parents and Earle-Sears. The lieutenant governor showed up at the Arlington County School Board meeting to denounce their policies (and got picketed with a racist sign by one of Spanberger’s volunteer campaign workers).

The parents’ rights agenda should not, therefore, be underestimated. The fact that “rule of law” liberals violated Virginia law to facilitate minors’ abortions — possibly with taxpayer money — ratchets up that debate. It also provides an opening to the almost sleeper campaign to elect a Legislature opposed to the Spanberger abortion amendment: If you’re offended that FCPS broke the law by arranging an abortion against a parent’s knowledge, why would you support legislators that would enshrine abortion-even-without-parental-awareness as a constitutional “right”?

With the dog days of summer waning, the most intense phase of the Virginia gubernatorial/legislative campaigns will likely pick up starting on Labor Day. Virginia’s (and New Jersey’s) off-year elections give both states disproportionate attention (and draw money from out-of-state) than they would otherwise have amidst the 36 states picking governors in 2026. Spanberger will likely hope economic issues and laid-off feds in northern Virginia will carry her over the finish line. One good thing, though: Dems would likely have wanted to make abortion an issue in the fall, given their push for a state Constitutional amendment, but will now have to mute themselves lest the Fairfax schools abortion scandal and its violations of the law be thrown in their faces.

The spin is already on: An August 27 New York Times op-ed (here) sings Spanberger’s praises without a single word about the abortion or trans scandals. We won’t even go into Spanberger’s evasions about illegal aliens, Virginia as “sanctuary,” and what to do with rogue Commonwealth Attorneys (prosecutors) who won’t prosecute. Keep an eye on Richmond!