Vulnerable House Democrats Align with GOP on Women’s Sports Amendment

Several Democrats in the House have shifted their position on the issue of men competing in women’s sports. This move arises as Republicans continue to emphasize the topic leading up to the midterm elections.

Representatives Shomari Figures and Terri Sewell from Alabama joined Republicans to vote for an amendment. This amendment to the annual defense policy bill mandates that biological males cannot participate in women’s sports in Department of Defense-run schools.

This vote signifies a significant change for both Alabama Democrats. They had opposed similar measures as recently as last year. However, the political landscape has altered due to redistricting efforts made by Republicans, complicating their re-election campaigns.

Shomari Figures now faces increased competition in his district after redistricting added more GOP voters. This alteration has made his re-election more challenging. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) recently listed him as a target. Meanwhile, Terri Sewell’s district, centered around Birmingham with a Black-majority, remains largely unchanged.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and over 200 other Democrats voted against the measure proposed by Republicans. All Republicans present supported it.

The two Alabama representatives had previously voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in 2025. This act prohibited federally funded schools from allowing biological males to participate in girls’ and women’s sports.

This reversal highlights the division within the Democratic party over transgender issues. Public opinion, as shown in a New York Times/Ipsos poll from 2025, indicates that nearly 80% of Americans oppose biological males in women’s sports. Around 70% of Democrat-affiliated respondents shared this view.

Republicans have argued that the Alabama Democrats’ recent votes are driven by political necessity, not a genuine change in stance. NRCC spokesperson Reilly Richardson expressed this sentiment, saying that Figures and Sewell are trying to conceal their previous far-left views because it is politically convenient now.

Figures maintained that his perspective on the matter has been consistent. He stated his opposition was based on the specifics of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which he believed could expose young girls to risk by enabling unregulated gender verification.

Other Democrats, including Reps. Don Davis from North Carolina, and Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez from Texas, also supported the amendment with Republicans. These representatives often cross party lines to support Republican initiatives, though Davis did not oppose the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act.

Rep. Nancy Mace, who proposed the amendment, argued that it is essential for safeguarding women’s sports. She called for an end to what she termed as ‘gender ideology’ encroaching upon women’s sports.