Transgender Issues from the November 3 Election

The Blue Wave and transgender rights: A mixed picture from Election Day 2026

— David Eugene Perry

Ahoy! Despite the broader Democratic victories in yesterday’s elections, the results on transgender-related ballot measures tell a more complicated story.

In Colorado, two measures are leading but have not yet been officially called: Proposition 134, restricting school sports participation based on biological sex (52.2% Yes), and Proposition 135, prohibiting certain gender-affirming surgeries for minors (51.7% Yes). The latter specifically targets surgeries intended to alter sex characteristics in response to gender identity, with certain medical exceptions. The question of exactly what constitutes a prohibited surgery will undoubtedly generate debate and potentially litigation.

Elsewhere, voters approved restrictions in Arizona (school bathrooms and locker rooms) and Nebraska (school sports). A similar sports measure is leading in Washington State.

However, Missouri voters DID reject Amendment 3 (55.5% No), which included restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors alongside abortion restrictions.

There were also important victories for openly transgender candidates. Sarah McBride won reelection to Congress from Delaware, Leigh Finke won another term in Minnesota, and Bentley Hudgins made history in Georgia as the state’s first openly transgender and nonbinary legislator. Georgia is becoming an increasingly fascinating state to watch!

In short, success at the ballot box for Democrats and openly transgender candidates did not necessarily translate into opposition to restrictions on transgender rights, even in traditionally Blue states.

What is clear is that Democratic Party leadership remains broadly supportive of transgender rights and the transgender community. However, support for those rights does not necessarily mean agreement on every policy question.

In particular, the issue of transgender athletes in youth sports (and at higher levels of competition), despite involving a numerically minuscule percentage of athletes, continues to generate controversy across party lines.

The takeaway? A Blue Wave doesn’t necessarily mean a uniform wave of support for every transgender-related policy. The results underscore the distinction between broader support for transgender civil rights and voter attitudes toward specific questions involving sports participation and medical care for minors.