Dems divided on transgender issue: Centrists fear the party is ‘reading the public wrong’
As Republicans face culture war attacks from Democrats on the campaign trail, they find themselves deeply divided on the best ways to respond while looking forward to 2026.
TroibNews 
Some Democrats, feeling the pressure from Republican attacks that link their party to transgender rights issues, are privately expressing their frustration with party leadership and underscore the necessity for a more effective strategy as they prepare for the 2026 elections.
Campaign advertisements that highlight transgender topics have been among the most frequently aired criticisms against Democrats, including a notable ad from Donald Trump featuring the tagline: “Kamala’s For They/Them. President Trump is for you.” This focus on culture war issues has also extended to lower-tier races, impacting Democratic candidates in key House and Senate contests. Some Democrats have actively countered these attacks, while others have chosen to remain silent.
This situation marks yet another episode of infighting within the Democratic Party, particularly following Trump’s victories in all swing states during the recent elections. Within the party, there is a significant struggle to determine an effective path forward, with many moderates advocating that issues of identity politics and cultural battles should take a backseat to addressing the economic concerns and anxieties of working-class voters, according to insights gathered from approximately a dozen House Democrats.
With Republicans likely to govern the legislative agenda in both the House and Senate in the upcoming Congress, House Democrats are preparing for more votes on transgender topics that are likely to put them in a defensive position, such as a proposed amendment aimed at prohibiting coverage for gender transition procedures under government-funded programs. The GOP has leveraged these votes for attack ads aimed at vulnerable members in battleground districts.
Rep. Seth Moulton, who recently ignited a backlash with his assertion that transgender girl athletes should not compete in women's sports, emphasized the necessity for Democrats to engage in an open discussion on how to effectively counter Republican narratives regarding transgender rights.
"I've talked to party leaders, including Hakeem [Jeffries], about this and I think Hakeem understands that we need to have these debates and discussions,” Moulton remarked in an interview on Monday. “The people who try to just shut down this debate, they're the ones in the end who will cause the most harm.”
Other moderate Democrats share a sentiment that the party has grown complacent, calling for leaders to directly challenge GOP attacks and recognize that some Democratic stances on transgender issues, such as allowing minors to seek gender-affirming treatment, do not resonate with a majority of Americans.
A group of around a dozen moderates has voiced dissatisfaction over House leadership's management of votes on transgender matters pushed by Republicans over the past two years, arguing that leaders should not have rallied opposition against GOP-led initiatives like those barring transgender athletes from competing in school sports. They contend that party leadership should have provided a clear rationale for opposing such votes—one that would be understandable to constituents in battleground districts.
Some argue that failing to do so demonstrates a disconnect between their leaders and a significant segment of the electorate.
“A left-winger from Massachusetts shouldn’t be whip,” grumbled a Democrat from a swing district, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, referring to Minority Whip Katherine Clark.
House Democrats are scheduled to hold their leadership elections next week, although no challenges to current leaders are anticipated.
Meanwhile, progressives are frustrated with what they perceive as centrists blaming their political difficulties on a minority group. Many within the party are hesitant to fully embrace a social issue that often complicates legislative matters, but they also do not want to alienate crucial segments of the Democratic base.
“There is no poll result that could make me turn on marginalized people,” stated progressive Rep. Summer Lee. “What I challenge us to do is find maybe better or different ways to protect folks, and better and different ways to lift up the messaging that we need that resonates with the people who need to hear and understand this message. But throwing anybody in our coalition under the bus just simply cannot be the answer.”
Though no Democrats made transgender rights a central focus in their campaigns, nor was it a significant component of the party platform this cycle, Republicans frequently weaponized it against them in competitive races.
“I was attacked on the trans issues. They did that all over the country,” said Rep.-elect Kristen McDonald Rivet, who secured a victory in a Trump district and noted that she rapidly shifted her advertising to emphasize economic topics. “We had a conversation with the voters about what was possible for our communities. And so then a lot of that ended up becoming noise.”
Many liberals attribute their electoral setbacks to broader issues, including Kamala Harris’ curtailed campaign and her challenges in distinguishing herself from President Joe Biden, as well as a lack of enthusiasm among the Democratic base. They also referenced guidance her campaign received that suggested adopting "Republican-lite" stances, according to preliminary analyses and talking points prepared by progressive staff obtained by PMG.
“Harris was counseled to position herself closely with conservatives in the political establishment and a wing of the billionaire class, with limited effectiveness. Harris campaigned four times in October with Liz Cheney, more than with any other ally. She appeared with Mark Cuban more than UAW’s Shawn Fain,” the memo stated. “We did not offer a meaningful contrast to Republicans celebrating billionaires and corporations — instead, the Republican-lite advice yielded no electoral benefits.”
There has already been intra-party backlash toward Democrats opposing transgender women’s participation in women’s sports. Moulton’s statements faced criticism from local officials and Democratic activists, along with a rebuke from Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan. A city councilor in Moulton’s hometown of Salem called for his resignation.
Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress, placed more blame on Republicans than her own party, accusing the GOP of utilizing transgender issues as a distraction from more pressing voter concerns. She noted that while her identity was not the focus of her campaign, it was well-known, and she achieved strong results in her election, which unfolded in a solidly blue state.
“Donald Trump was trying to divide and distract from the fact that he has absolutely no policy solutions for the issues that are actually keeping voters up at night,” she added. Transgender matters hold personal significance for many other House Democrats as well, some of whom have openly transgender children or relatives.
Still, this has not deterred some centrists from publicly calling on the party to develop a more effective approach to countering Republican messaging related to transgender issues.
“They make those issues into ads and, part of that is, the Democrats set that up for them,” said Rep. Henry Cuellar, who is facing federal bribery charges and also encountered a tighter-than-anticipated race as South Texas border counties shifted toward Trump.
“Transgender, pro-choice, I understand that, but the problem is that Democrats sometimes underestimate or don’t read the general public, and if they think that those are the big issues for the general public in rural America or in South Texas … they’re reading the public wrong,” he added.
Transgender issues were prominently featured in the competitive Texas Senate race, where Sen. Ted Cruz repeatedly criticized Democrats and his unsuccessful opponent, Rep. Colin Allred, for their votes against allowing transgender women to compete in women’s interscholastic sports.
“The message is: Stop with the identity politics,” declared Rep. Greg Landsman, a centrist who represents a purple district. “To the far left and the far right, stop with identity politics."
Megan Messerly contributed to this report.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
Campaign advertisements that highlight transgender topics have been among the most frequently aired criticisms against Democrats, including a notable ad from Donald Trump featuring the tagline: “Kamala’s For They/Them. President Trump is for you.” This focus on culture war issues has also extended to lower-tier races, impacting Democratic candidates in key House and Senate contests. Some Democrats have actively countered these attacks, while others have chosen to remain silent.
This situation marks yet another episode of infighting within the Democratic Party, particularly following Trump’s victories in all swing states during the recent elections. Within the party, there is a significant struggle to determine an effective path forward, with many moderates advocating that issues of identity politics and cultural battles should take a backseat to addressing the economic concerns and anxieties of working-class voters, according to insights gathered from approximately a dozen House Democrats.
With Republicans likely to govern the legislative agenda in both the House and Senate in the upcoming Congress, House Democrats are preparing for more votes on transgender topics that are likely to put them in a defensive position, such as a proposed amendment aimed at prohibiting coverage for gender transition procedures under government-funded programs. The GOP has leveraged these votes for attack ads aimed at vulnerable members in battleground districts.
Rep. Seth Moulton, who recently ignited a backlash with his assertion that transgender girl athletes should not compete in women's sports, emphasized the necessity for Democrats to engage in an open discussion on how to effectively counter Republican narratives regarding transgender rights.
"I've talked to party leaders, including Hakeem [Jeffries], about this and I think Hakeem understands that we need to have these debates and discussions,” Moulton remarked in an interview on Monday. “The people who try to just shut down this debate, they're the ones in the end who will cause the most harm.”
Other moderate Democrats share a sentiment that the party has grown complacent, calling for leaders to directly challenge GOP attacks and recognize that some Democratic stances on transgender issues, such as allowing minors to seek gender-affirming treatment, do not resonate with a majority of Americans.
A group of around a dozen moderates has voiced dissatisfaction over House leadership's management of votes on transgender matters pushed by Republicans over the past two years, arguing that leaders should not have rallied opposition against GOP-led initiatives like those barring transgender athletes from competing in school sports. They contend that party leadership should have provided a clear rationale for opposing such votes—one that would be understandable to constituents in battleground districts.
Some argue that failing to do so demonstrates a disconnect between their leaders and a significant segment of the electorate.
“A left-winger from Massachusetts shouldn’t be whip,” grumbled a Democrat from a swing district, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, referring to Minority Whip Katherine Clark.
House Democrats are scheduled to hold their leadership elections next week, although no challenges to current leaders are anticipated.
Meanwhile, progressives are frustrated with what they perceive as centrists blaming their political difficulties on a minority group. Many within the party are hesitant to fully embrace a social issue that often complicates legislative matters, but they also do not want to alienate crucial segments of the Democratic base.
“There is no poll result that could make me turn on marginalized people,” stated progressive Rep. Summer Lee. “What I challenge us to do is find maybe better or different ways to protect folks, and better and different ways to lift up the messaging that we need that resonates with the people who need to hear and understand this message. But throwing anybody in our coalition under the bus just simply cannot be the answer.”
Though no Democrats made transgender rights a central focus in their campaigns, nor was it a significant component of the party platform this cycle, Republicans frequently weaponized it against them in competitive races.
“I was attacked on the trans issues. They did that all over the country,” said Rep.-elect Kristen McDonald Rivet, who secured a victory in a Trump district and noted that she rapidly shifted her advertising to emphasize economic topics. “We had a conversation with the voters about what was possible for our communities. And so then a lot of that ended up becoming noise.”
Many liberals attribute their electoral setbacks to broader issues, including Kamala Harris’ curtailed campaign and her challenges in distinguishing herself from President Joe Biden, as well as a lack of enthusiasm among the Democratic base. They also referenced guidance her campaign received that suggested adopting "Republican-lite" stances, according to preliminary analyses and talking points prepared by progressive staff obtained by PMG.
“Harris was counseled to position herself closely with conservatives in the political establishment and a wing of the billionaire class, with limited effectiveness. Harris campaigned four times in October with Liz Cheney, more than with any other ally. She appeared with Mark Cuban more than UAW’s Shawn Fain,” the memo stated. “We did not offer a meaningful contrast to Republicans celebrating billionaires and corporations — instead, the Republican-lite advice yielded no electoral benefits.”
There has already been intra-party backlash toward Democrats opposing transgender women’s participation in women’s sports. Moulton’s statements faced criticism from local officials and Democratic activists, along with a rebuke from Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan. A city councilor in Moulton’s hometown of Salem called for his resignation.
Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress, placed more blame on Republicans than her own party, accusing the GOP of utilizing transgender issues as a distraction from more pressing voter concerns. She noted that while her identity was not the focus of her campaign, it was well-known, and she achieved strong results in her election, which unfolded in a solidly blue state.
“Donald Trump was trying to divide and distract from the fact that he has absolutely no policy solutions for the issues that are actually keeping voters up at night,” she added. Transgender matters hold personal significance for many other House Democrats as well, some of whom have openly transgender children or relatives.
Still, this has not deterred some centrists from publicly calling on the party to develop a more effective approach to countering Republican messaging related to transgender issues.
“They make those issues into ads and, part of that is, the Democrats set that up for them,” said Rep. Henry Cuellar, who is facing federal bribery charges and also encountered a tighter-than-anticipated race as South Texas border counties shifted toward Trump.
“Transgender, pro-choice, I understand that, but the problem is that Democrats sometimes underestimate or don’t read the general public, and if they think that those are the big issues for the general public in rural America or in South Texas … they’re reading the public wrong,” he added.
Transgender issues were prominently featured in the competitive Texas Senate race, where Sen. Ted Cruz repeatedly criticized Democrats and his unsuccessful opponent, Rep. Colin Allred, for their votes against allowing transgender women to compete in women’s interscholastic sports.
“The message is: Stop with the identity politics,” declared Rep. Greg Landsman, a centrist who represents a purple district. “To the far left and the far right, stop with identity politics."
Megan Messerly contributed to this report.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
