4 Democrats in tight races shift stances on ‘trans’ athletes in sports
At least four Democrats in competitive House and Senate races ranging from Iowa to Texas recently changed their tune to say they oppose transgender athletes in girls’ sports despite past votes against bills that restricted them.
Four Democrats in closely watched races have backed away from earlier positions on “transgender” athletes, despite their voting records showing their opposition to bills keeping male athletes out of girls’ sports. A fourth, Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, said he supports a ban whenever “safety or fairness is at risk.”
In an ad titled “The Truth” that first aired Sept. 16, Rep. Mercy Kaptur, D-Ohio, says, “I voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of our schools because parents know what’s best for their kids, and boys should not play in girls’ sports,” according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. The spot accuses her Republican challenger, Derek Merrin, of lying about her record.
But Kaptur voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act when the House passed it 219-203 on April 20, 2023, according to the House roll call, and 218-206 on Jan. 14, 2025, according to a second roll call. No Democrats voted for it in 2023, and two did in 2025.
A second Kaptur ad, “Say No,” says she has “repeatedly said no to my own party,” including on “teaching gender ideology in schools,” referring to her vote for the PROTECT Kids Act, which would require elementary and middle schools to obtain parental consent before changing a student’s pronouns or name on school forms. The Cook Political Report rates her district a Democratic toss-up.
The ad drew criticism from the left. Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., who co-chairs the political arm of the congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, told Axios, “The Equality Caucus is not going to stand by passively and allow anyone to scapegoat the trans community.”
Similarly, Equality Ohio graded Kaptur with a D, just above Merrin’s F, on its candidate scorecard.
In Iowa, state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, the Democrat challenging Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, says in an ad titled “Kids First” that she opposes allowing men to enter women’s locker rooms. The Washington Examiner reported that she previously voted against legislation restricting “transgender” students from girls’ sports and locker rooms. Cook rates the race a Republican toss-up.
State Rep. Lindsay James, who is running for the open seat of Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, says in an ad titled “What I Believe” that she supports “common sense rules to keep sports fair, for boys and for girls.” The Denver Gazette reported that she voted against 2023 bills on bathroom access and parental notification for minors who say they want to change genders. Cook rates that race as leaning Republican.
James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, is running against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. Talarico “has opposed trans athletes playing girls’ sports when it jeopardizes safety or fairness” throughout his career, campaign spokesman JT Ennis told Fox News’ OutKick.
The outlet said that the campaign did not directly answer whether he would support the federal sports bill. The Daily Signal reported that Talarico voted against 2021 legislation requiring students to compete according to their sex and a 2025 bill requiring sex-designated facilities.
Zeale News reported Sept. 10 that Talarico had also reversed course on other “transgender” issues, saying he supports a federal ban on “transition” surgery for minors. He also said “there are not six sexes. There are two,” contradicting earlier statements he made. Recent polls show a tight race, with a University of Texas survey putting him ahead by three points and an Emerson College survey giving Paxton a one-point lead.
A June YouGov poll found 59% of Americans support the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that states can ban male athletes from participating in female sporting events, while 27% oppose the ruling, and 14% were undecided.
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