Key facts
- Annie Andrews, a Democratic Senate candidate in South Carolina, stated "I don’t support biological men playing in women’s sports" in a new ad.
- Andrews also stated in the ad, "I don’t support and haven’t ever performed gender surgery for minors."
- The ad was a response to attacks from Donald Trump and a super PAC ad supporting Republican opponent Darline Graham.
- The super PAC ad claimed Andrews "is for they/them" and depicted a transgender person as predatory toward a child.
- Other Democrats, including Marcy Kaptur and Don Davis, have also aired ads addressing trans issues in response to Republican attacks.
- Equality Pac, the fundraising arm of the congressional equality caucus, disapproved of Marcy Kaptur's language regarding transgender girls.
South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews has responded to Republican efforts to make transgender athletes in women's sports a central issue in the race. In a direct-to-camera statement featured in a new ad, Andrews, a pediatrician, declared, "I want you to hear me loud and clear: I don’t support biological men playing in women’s sports, and I don’t support and haven’t ever performed gender surgery for minors."
The ad was released in response to recent attacks from Donald Trump and an aggressive advertisement funded by a super political action committee (PAC) supporting her Republican opponent, Darline Graham. The PAC's ad accused Andrews of supporting "they/them" pronouns and depicted a transgender person as predatory toward a child.
Republicans have increasingly used anti-trans issues, such as excluding transgender women from women's and girls' sports, as a strategy to challenge Democrats in upcoming elections. Trump has been a vocal proponent of this issue for years, and a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year upheld laws in conservative states that exclude transgender girls and women from competing in female sports.
Andrews, who has previously expressed support for transgender people, used her response ad to directly address the criticisms. She joins other Democrats in competitive districts who have recently adjusted their messaging on transgender rights, particularly concerning athletes. For instance, US Representative Marcy Kaptur aired an ad stating she "voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of our schools" and that "boys should not play in girls’ sports." Similarly, US Representative Don Davis released an ad emphasizing states' rights to decide "what’s right for protecting women and girls."
Blake Gendebien, a Democratic candidate in a Republican-leaning district in New York, also released an ad stating "boys shouldn’t play on girls’ sports teams," while also noting the issue was not a significant concern in his district, attributing its prominence to "internet trolls."
In 2024, pro-Trump groups used conservative opposition to the Biden administration's inclusive policies to attack then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. The ad attacking Andrews in South Carolina employs similar language to a pro-Trump ad from two years prior.
The strategy of responding to anti-trans attacks has divided some Democrats. Equality Pac, a fundraising group for LGBTQ+ candidates, criticized Kaptur's ad, calling her language "unacceptable" and stating they would not support her campaign. The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, advised Democrats against "turning on a vulnerable community," arguing it legitimizes opponents and harms transgender people. The group highlighted Ohio senate candidate Sherrod Brown's ad, which featured voters dismissing anti-trans issues and redirecting attention to economic concerns, as a more effective approach.