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Federal Officials Find Their Way to Tight Races

As the midterm election season moves into the final stretch, education policy leaders in Washington are lending a hand in tight races to bolster their parties’ prospects of gaining—or retaining—a majority of seats in the next Congress.

The top federal lawmakers on education issues have been out on the campaign trail since the summer, holding press events and appearing at fundraisers in competitive contests from Connecticut to California. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, meanwhile, has visited the districts of some Republican incumbents facing tough re-election battles, although most of those appearances are not officially considered campaigning.

“Key education officials will always be highly prized,” said Larry J. Sabato, the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Their visits, which often involve touring a school or meeting with local education leaders, “make for a positive, upbeat event, and everybody feels good because they’re doing something for...