How Did Candidates Who Campaigned on Transgender Issues Do in the 2026 Midterms?

TransHealthHub

2 days ago

4 min read

Key Takeaways

Democrats won all nine statewide races we followed. In seven, the other side campaigned on limits for transgender youth.
Both Iowa winners also opposed transgender girls and women playing on female sports teams.
A candidate's win does not change state law. Legislatures and, in some states, voters set the rules on supportive care for minors.

The short answer

Democratic candidates won all nine U.S. Senate, governor, and attorney general races we tracked in Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Colorado. In seven, the losing candidate or party had campaigned on limiting school sports, school facilities, or medical care for transgender young people. Voters in Arizona and Colorado still approved new limits through ballot measures.

At TransHealthHub, we report what candidates said and what the law now says. We do not endorse or oppose any candidate, party, or ballot measure.

Results at a glance

State	Race	Winner	Transgender issues in the race
Iowa	U.S. Senate	Josh Turek	Opponent's ad rated False
Iowa	Governor	Rob Sand	Winner opposes transgender women in women's sports
Michigan	U.S. Senate	Abdul El-Sayed	Coverage of care for minors
Pennsylvania	Governor	Josh Shapiro	School sports
Wisconsin	Governor	David Crowley	Funding for care, sports
Wisconsin	Attorney general	Josh Kaul	School restroom policy
Arizona	Governor	Katie Hobbs	Proposition 318
Arizona	Attorney general	Kris Mayes	Proposition 318
Colorado	Governor	Phil Weiser	Propositions 134 and 135

Race calls are Associated Press projections, compiled by MultiState and the outlets below, as of November 9, 2026.

Two Iowa winners drew their own lines on sports

Democrat Josh Turek won the U.S. Senate seat with about 50.5% to Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson's 46.4%, according to WOWT. Hinson's first ad after the primary said Turek supports "sex changes for kids," which PolitiFact rated False. His campaign told the fact-checkers he opposes surgery for minors.

Turek later ran an ad opposing "males competing in female sports." "We unequivocally condemn Josh Turek's recently released campaign ad," said Max Mowitz, executive director of One Iowa Action, Iowa Capital Dispatch reported.

Democrat Rob Sand won the governor's race over Republican Zach Lahn, 55.4% to 44.4%. Sand has said transgender women should not compete in women's sports, and said Iowa's 2025 repeal of gender identity civil rights protections was "wrong," The Gazette reported. Iowa already bans this medical care for minors, PolitiFact notes.

In Michigan, a debate over who makes healthcare decisions

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed beat Republican Mike Rogers by about 7 points, according to the Associated Press. Republicans attacked his view that a single-payer system should cover care for minors. "If you disagree that health care decisions need to be made by a doctor, and parents, and a patient, then I just think we agree to disagree," El-Sayed said in an August Fox News interview, PolitiFact reported.

Sports and state funding in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin

Gov. Josh Shapiro won reelection over Republican Stacy Garrity, 60.4% to 38.3%. "Boys don't belong in girls' sports," Garrity said, according to Spotlight PA. The same report says Shapiro has called politicians who back a sports ban "extremist," without committing to a veto, and sued over a federal policy restricting this care for people under 19.

In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley beat Republican Tom Tiffany, 54.0% to 46.0%. Tiffany said of this care that "public money should not be used for that, including for adults, and it should not happen to minors." Asked whether he would limit any current rights, Crowley said, "No, I am not going to limit our LGBTQ community from what they currently have," according to Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.

Attorney General Josh Kaul won a third term over Republican Eric Toney, who had criticized him over a school district's restroom policy, Our Lives reported. Kaul has joined a multistate suit challenging federal limits on this care for young people.

Where candidates and ballot measures split

Gov. Katie Hobbs beat Republican Andy Biggs, 55.6% to 42.5%, and Attorney General Kris Mayes won with more than 56%, KJZZ reported. Biggs and Republican attorney general nominee Warren Petersen backed Proposition 318, and Hobbs has vetoed bills limiting transgender students' use of school facilities, the Arizona Mirror reported. Proposition 318 passed anyway, the Associated Press projected.

In Colorado, Attorney General Phil Weiser won the governor's race with 61.1% to Republican Victor Marx's 33.3%. Voters also approved Propositions 134 and 135. Weiser said lawmakers would need to "take a long, hard look at what makes sense" in carrying them out, according to KUNC.

The national picture

Republicans spent an estimated $183 million on transgender-themed ads through October 25, up from about $151 million at the same point in 2024, the Associated Press reported, citing AdImpact. In an October poll by the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, about 1 in 10 registered voters called transgender issues among the most important.

Frequently asked questions

Did these races change the law on care for minors? Not by themselves. As of November 6, 2026, 28 states have enacted laws or policies limiting young people's access, according to the KFF tracker. See our state-by-state list.

Can a governor change these rules alone? Generally not. Legislatures write the laws, and governors sign or veto them. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a ban on this care for minors, Our Lives reports.

Where can families find support right now? Our guide to family support covers what research says helps, regardless of a state's laws.