Four Democratic candidates in tight House races are running ads saying they support keeping boys out of girls’ sports — even though they voted against bills that would have kept biological men out of women’s locker rooms and sports teams.
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) declared in a recent ad: “I voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of our schools because parents know what’s best for their kids. And boys should not play in girls’ sports.”
Kaptur’s voting record tells a different story. She opposed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act last year, joining 205 other members of her caucus.
Kaptur’s Record on the Issue
The ad positions Kaptur as a champion of traditional gender roles in sports. But her actual vote on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act went the other way. She joined 205 of her fellow Democrats in opposing the measure.
“I voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of our schools because parents know what’s best for their kids. And boys should not play in girls’ sports.”
Davis’s Present Vote
Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) took a different approach. He voted “present” on the same act and says in his ad: “There should always be a safe and fair space for women and girls in sports.”
Davis also says in the ad: “Fair competition was at the heart of those games, but let’s be honest, there’s real concerns about fairness and safety,” adding “That’s why I believe states should decide what’s right for protecting women and girls, and North Carolina has decided.”
In 2023, Davis didn’t even attend a House vote on the same bill, while Kaptur opposed it.
Davis’s position is more nuanced than Kaptur’s. He voted neither yes nor no — he abstained entirely. His ad frames that abstention as a principled stand for state control over sports policy.
Trone Garriott’s Position
Sarah Trone Garriott, an Iowa state senator running for the US House against Rep. Zach Nunn, claimed in an ad: “I oppose letting men in women’s locker rooms and voted to let parents, not politicians, make decisions for their kids.”
Trone Garriott voted to allow biological men in women’s locker rooms by opposing a bill that eventually banned the practice when Gov. Kim Reynolds signed it into law in 2023. She also voted against a 2022 bill, which Reynolds also signed, prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in women’s and girls’ sports.
Trone Garriott’s record is the most direct evidence of the disconnect. She opposed bills that would have banned men from women’s locker rooms and sports teams — and now she is running an ad that says the opposite.
Lindsay James’s Stance
Lindsay James, a Democratic House candidate hoping to win GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson’s vacant seat, also opposed both measures when they came through the Iowa House.
James’s position matches Trone Garriott’s. She voted against bills that would have restricted male participation in women’s sports — and now she is campaigning on a platform that criticizes those same policies.
The Ads Compared
All four candidates are running similar ads. They all say they support keeping boys out of girls’ sports. None of them mention their own votes.
The ads are framed around a simple principle — boys should not play in girls’ sports — without addressing the specific bills each candidate opposed.
| Candidate | Race | Ad Position | Actual Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcy Kaptur | D-Ohio | Opposes boys playing in girls’ sports | Opposed Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act |
| Don Davis | D-NC | Supports safe space for women and girls in sports | Voted “present” on the same act |
| Sarah Trone Garriott | Running against Zach Nunn | Opposes letting men in women’s locker rooms | Voted against bills banning male participation |
| Lindsay James | Running for Ashley Hinson’s seat | Opposes letting men in women’s locker rooms | Voted against bills banning male participation |
Public Opinion on the Issue
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Americans at least expressed concern about “transgender athletes competing on sports teams that don’t match their sex at birth,” according to a Pew Research Center analysis.
Just 13% said they would be comfortable with that trend.
Even most Democrats (55%) said they wouldn’t be comfortable with transgender competitors participating on teams that don’t match their birth sex. 44% said they would be somewhat, extremely or very comfortable.
The polling suggests that Democrats are far from united on this issue. The party’s base is concerned about male participation in women’s sports, and a majority of Democrats share that concern.
The Generic Ballot Context
Democrats lead by more than eight percentage points on the generic congressional ballot, per RealClearPolitics.
That margin could matter in these tight races. The ads are running in competitive districts where the outcome could determine control of the House.
The generic ballot numbers suggest Democrats are in a strong position overall. But individual races can move in different directions, especially when candidates run ads that diverge from their voting record.
Responses From the Campaigns
Responses for the Kaptur, Davis, Trone Garriott and James campaigns did not respond to requests for comment.
That silence is notable. When asked about the contradiction between their ads and their votes, none of the campaigns offered an explanation.
The lack of response leaves the question unanswered. The campaigns have chosen not to address the discrepancy publicly.
What This Means for Voters
The ads are a warning sign for Democrats who care about consistency in politics. A candidate who runs on a platform that contradicts their record is a candidate who is willing to say one thing and do another.
Voters who support keeping boys out of girls’ sports may find themselves represented by someone who voted the opposite way. The ads present one position; the records show another.
The polling data reflects broad concern about male participation in women’s sports. But the ads also risk alienating voters who follow candidates’ records closely. A voter who knows about Kaptur’s vote on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act may see the ad as inconsistent rather than persuasive.
The paper’s position on this story is skepticism. The candidates are running ads that contradict their voting records, and they are doing so in competitive races where the outcome could determine control of the House.
The paper has a side in this story, and it is the side of honesty in politics. Candidates should be held to account for their votes, and voters should know what they are getting.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs the north star of individual freedom and small business and is against political ads that mislead voters about a candidate’s record. In this case, four Democratic candidates are running ads saying they support keeping boys out of girls’ sports — even though they voted against bills that would have kept biological men out of women’s locker rooms and sports teams. That is a direct contradiction between word and deed, and the paper calls it out.
The paper’s north star prioritizes individual freedom and supports small business while avoiding concentrations of power. Misleading ads about a candidate’s record concentrate power in the hands of the campaign machine, not the voter. The paper is against that. These candidates are asking voters to trust their words while their voting records tell a different story — a pattern that rewards deception over honesty.
When a candidate’s ad promises one thing and their record delivers another, the reader should treat that gap as a warning sign. The polling shows broad concern among Democrats about male participation in women’s sports, but voters who follow records closely will see these ads as inconsistent rather than persuasive. The paper wants candidates held to their votes, not just their talking points.
Source material: “Four Dems in tight races backpedal on trans messaging — after voting to support biological men in women’s sports,” the New York Post.
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