Four Democratic candidates in hotly contested House races are running ads to cast themselves as champions of women’s sports, even as voting records show they oppose or sidestep legislation that would ban biological men from participating in women’s competitions, according to a report released Monday.
this new york post Reports say two current candidates and two first-time candidates are raising money claiming they are willing to break with their parties to protect female athletes, even though their records suggest otherwise.
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), who is in a tight race with Republican Derek Merrin, addressed the issue directly in an ad.
“Republicans and I voted to keep transgender ideology out of our schools because parents know what’s best for their children. Boys shouldn’t be playing girls’ sports,” Kaptur said at the scene.
The Ohio Democrat opposed the Protecting Women and Girls in Sports Act and joined 205 other members of her caucus in opposing the bill. She is also a co-sponsor of the Equality Act, which critics say would eliminate gender-based disparities in sports.
Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., cast an “present” vote on the same measure, which passed 218 to 206, with two Texas Democrats joining the Republican ranks. The North Carolina Democrat argued in his own ad that states should set the rules.
“Women and girls in sports should always have a safe and fair space,” Davis said. “That’s why I think states should decide what is the right way to protect women and girls, and North Carolina has decided that.”
Iowa Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott is challenging Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) by claiming in an ad that she opposes “letting men into women’s locker rooms.” As a legislator, she voted against a 2022 bill that would have banned transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports and a 2023 measure that would have restricted access to locker rooms, both of which were signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds.
Nunn’s campaign responded with an ad of its own, accusing her of rewriting her record. Lindsay James, the Democratic candidate running for Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson’s open seat, also opposed both state measures.
The ads come as vulnerable Democrats everywhere recalibrate their messaging ahead of the November midterm elections, while candidates in safer seats do the opposite. Socialist candidate Claire Valdez recently confirmed that a “trans rights bill” would be a priority if Democrats win the House of Representatives.
A Pew Research Center analysis found that 73% of Americans are concerned about transgender athletes competing against their birth sex, and 55% of Democrats are uncomfortable with the practice.
The report sparked a reaction on X, where users circulated the candidates’ voting records and raised questions about the timing of the ads.