Democratic gubernatorial candidates' records on transgender athletes in women's sports under scrutiny

Democratic gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia are facing renewed scrutiny over their records on transgender athletes in women's sports. U.S. Representatives Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, both seeking gubernatorial positions in upcoming elections, have supported or co-sponsored federal measures that extend protections to transgender people and govern participation in sports. The campaign trail has taken note of their records as voters weigh concerns about fairness, safety, and local control in school athletics. Spanberger drew particular attention after a viral ABC13 interview in which she was asked whether transgender people should be allowed to play in women’s sports or use women’s bathrooms. She did not offer a definitive position on those questions but outlined a framework for how states might handle such issues.

Spanberger’s remarks pointed to a longstanding approach in Virginia that she described as operating on a case-by-case basis with input from schools, principals, parents, and coaches. “So in Virginia, until very recently, we have had a process in place where on an individual, one by one basis, schools, principals, parents, coaches were making decisions based on fairness, competitiveness and safety, where a child might be able or might not be able to play in a particular sport,” Spanberger said. When pressed about supporting a bill that would permit transgender athletes in female bathrooms and sports, she added that she would “support a bill that would put clear provisions in place that provide a lot of local ability for input, based on the age of children, based on the type of sport, based on competitiveness. Because certainly I recognize, I absolutely recognize. I recognize the concern that families and community members might have about the safety of their own kids, about competitiveness, about fairness. And I think the process that was in place for 10 years was one that was working. It was one that took individual circumstances and individual communities into account, and I think that is the process that Virginia should continue to utilize.”

Spanberger’s record includes co-sponsoring the Equality Act in 2021, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. In 2023 she voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a federal measure designed to shield female athletes from transgender competitors nationwide. Sherrill, similarly focused on transgender rights, co-sponsored the Equality Act and the Transgender Bill of Rights, which explicitly guarantees certain rights for transgender and nonbinary people with respect to public services and accommodations, including sports teams aligned with gender identity. Yet Sherrill also voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, first when it was proposed in 2023 and again when it was reintroduced in 2024. The record has become a talking point in campaigns, with New Jersey Republicans highlighting Sherrill’s votes in campaign graphics and her opponent, Republican Jack Ciatterelli, invoking the issue in online posts.

Fox News Digital contacted both campaigns for clarity on why they voted as they did on those bills and whether they would enforce President Donald Trump’s Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports executive order if elected governor. Neither campaign provided a response. The conversations about these votes come as polling data point to deep public interest in how policies on transgender participation in girls’ and women’s sports are handled at the state and federal levels. A January New York Times/Ipsos survey found that 79% of Americans believed biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports. Among Democrats or those leaning Democratic, 67% said transgender athletes should not compete with women, while 94% of Republicans disagreed. Independents showed mixed views, with 64% opposed and 26% unwilling to answer. Separate Gallup data from the same period indicated that roughly 70% of Americans favored restricting transgender women from competing against cisgender women in sports.

The political salience of the issue appeared to influence the 2024 cycle, with data from the Concerned Women for America’s legislative action committee suggesting that a sizable share of moderate voters viewed disputes over transgender athletes and related bathroom policies as important to their decisions. In the broader Democratic circle, several prominent figures have publicly signaled caution or revised positioning on the issue, including Pete Buttigieg, Gavin Newsom, and Kamala Harris. Harris, in her book 107 Days, wrote that she agrees with concerns raised by parents and athletes about fairness and safety, noting the complexity of factors such as muscle mass in determining competition. The national conversation has touched schools, sports organizations, and state capitals as lawmakers weigh how best to balance inclusion with the integrity of women’s sports.

As coverage continues, observers caution that this issue intersects with questions of civil rights, local governance, and the ongoing alignment of federal policy with state practice. Campaigns in battleground states have emphasized different angles—from local-control framings to national protections for transgender people—while seeking to respond to a public that surveys show remains divided on the appropriate boundaries for participation in women’s sports. The evolving policy landscape means voters will be parsing a mix of past votes, public statements, and prospective gubernatorial priorities as November approaches.