Michigan Republican candidate for governor Tudor Dixon (Getty Images)

By Fran Beyer. Media: Newsmax.

Conservative Republican Tudor Dixon said Monday her focus on education is behind her closing a gap in support with voters as she faces off against incumbent Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. In an interview on her final day of campaigning, Dixon told Newsmax's "Wake Up America," education is the No. 1 issue with voters in the state. "Michigan was out of school for so long during the coronavirus pandemic," she said, adding online learning "was not effective for our students… we have a lot of catching up to do." According to Dixon, parents also are fed up with curriculum that's focused on social issues rather than the basics. "They want their kids protected and to go back to the basics of reading, writing, and math," she said. "Parents are going to come out in force and say, 'listen at the end of the day, the most important thing to me are my children, and I want to make sure that I'm going to choose a governor who's going to protect them.' That's what we've heard on the ground."