Election 2016 Transgender Politics
FILE - Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand speaks during a campaign rally, June 7, 2026, in Des Moines, Iowa.
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An increasing number of Democratic leaders have begun to push back against their party’s unflinching support for the transgender community this midterm season. The shift comes after years of Republican-backed attacks against Democrats on the issue of transgender athletes. That issue affects a relatively small group of people but it has emerged as one of the GOP’s most potent political weapons. It's a delicate and dangerous issue for Democrats, who have already triggered a backlash from their party’s progressive base in some states. But for others, there is a sense that the party must evolve on an issue that the overwhelming majority of voters agree with President Donald Trump on.
