I blame an outbreak of Foot-In-Mouth Disease among Dems, spread from the Governor, through municipal officials, and into school boards.
Many Dem voters are Cultural Democrats, it's the way their family and friends have always voted. But even comfortable Cultural Democrats have boundaries Progs trample to their peril. Messing with their kids proved to be a significant one.
However, Virginia could prove to be a one-off isolated event unless the Rs have the sense to HAMMER those boundary issues - e.g. Gun-Grabbing in states like TX (Hello, Fauxspanic Bobby?) and rural areas generally, Pro-Life among Hispanics, CRT where schools have gone full-race-baiter; anti Asian and -white discrimination where schools and universities game their admissions, etc., etc., etc.. When Dems give a huge issue like these for free, hammer them with the hammer they gave.