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State Electoral Victors Face K-12 Hurdles

North Carolina Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue, a Democrat, gives the thumbs-up after winning in that state, among the most hard-fought gubernatorial contests this year. Teachers' union volunteers swept in to campaign for the former teacher.

—Sara D. Davis/AP

By Michele McNeil

The new class of governors, state legislators, and chief state school officers elected last week will face formidable challenges in dealing with the squeeze the nation’s sagging economy—and ballooning state budget deficits—is putting on K-12 education.

In the Nov. 4 elections, Democrats added one more governor’s office—in Missouri—to their power grid and built on their dominance in state legislative chambers. Democrats now control all of state government in 17 states; the Republicans’ prevail in eight. Control is split between parties in the others.

Such political shifts could alter education policy. In Ohio, for example, Democrats’ newly acquired control of the House could spell trouble for charter schools...