A wave of anti-transgender legislation has appeared in statehouses across the country over the past few years. Now, transgender issues are a recurring topic on the 2026 midterm campaign trail.

As a scholar of LGBTQ politics and history, I’ve noticed surprising trends in how Democrats in key states like Texas and Ohio talk about policies focused on transgender people, as the party vies for control of Congress.

With a rise in anti-trans rhetoric from the White House, some Democrats are using similar messaging in an attempt to secure undecided voters. In my assessment, this approach could alienate moderates, progressives and LGBTQ people more broadly.

On the campaign trail

Democratic candidates have split sharply on transition-related care and inclusion in school sports.

In Massachusetts, Rep. Seth Moulton came out against transgender girls competing in school sports, just days after President Donald Trump’s victory in November 2024. But Sen. Ed Markey, Moulton’s primary opponent for the Senate seat, took the opposite approach, stating his unwavering support for transgender rights.

Markey polled ahead of Moulton throughout 2026 and won the primary by nearly 30 percentage points. Public opinion data shows that two-thirds of Democratic likely primary voters in Massachusetts said they would be less likely to back a candidate who opposes transgender rights.

Other Democrats, especially in Southern and Midwestern states, are taking a more conservative approach to transgender rights. In Texas, Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico has reversed his past........

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