Democrats have spent years on the defensive over transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports. Ahead of the midterms, some candidates in tight races are going on offense, highlighting support for restrictions on transgender athletes. The debate over transgender athletes has become one of the most salient culture war issues in the past few years, and Republicans have used the issue to cast Democrats as out of touch with most Americans, most of whom prefer transgender athletes to play on the teams that correspond with the sex they were assigned at birth, rather than their gender identity, polls show.
It’s left Democrats in a tricky position, as most Democratic lawmakers have cast themselves as strong allies to the transgender community. Embracing calls for these restrictions could risk alienating a voting group that votes for them by large margins, but it's an issue Republicans successfully exploited in the 2024 election. Facing the potential for Republican attacks, some Democrats have embraced more moderate or conservative messaging on the issue in a bid to appeal to swing voters, but have not widely stepped away from supporting the transgender community on other issues.
The shift in messaging comes as Democrats are hoping to expand the electoral battleground in November, and they’re hoping to win over more conservative voters in difficult seats as President Donald Trump’s approval rating slips amid ongoing concerns tied to the cost of living and economy. Polls have shown that most Americans support some restrictions on the participation of transgender athletes, explaining why some Democrats see this position as politically advantageous. Representative Marcy Kaptur, an Ohio Democrat, has garnered attention over recent advertisements on transgender rights.
She is running for reelection in Ohio’s 9th District, which includes Toledo and rural, conservative areas of northwestern Ohio. It backed Trump by more than 10 points in 2024. Don’t let them change the subject.” GLAAD has referred to the phrase “transgender ideology” as a “malicious rhetorical construct that falsely asserts that LGBTQ — notably trans — people are an ideological movement rather than an intrinsic identity.” Still, Kaptur has a record of supporting LGBTQ+ rights in her tenure in Congress.
For instance, she’s voted for the Equality Act and has posted in support of Trans Day of Visibility, writing in a March 2021 X post that “transgender rights are human rights.” Democrats like Kaptur have been speaking out on the issue of sports and locker rooms but have not gone as far on other antidiscrimination measures. Still, some more progressive Democrats have lamented what they view as a shift in their party on the issue as some moderate Democrats embrace rhetoric they believe is closer to Republicans. In Iowa, several Democrats have made statements or released ads referencing transgender athletes.
Two House candidates did so, without specifically naming the transgender community and using milder rhetoric. Sarah Trone Garriott, who is running for Iowa’s 3rd District, said in a recent ad that she opposes “letting men in women’s locker rooms.” Lindsay James, who is running for Iowa’s 2nd District, said that she believes “all children are made in the image of God,” calling for “common sense rules to keep sports fair for boys and for girls.” “Parents know what’s best for our kids. Washington needs to stay out of it,” she said.
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