Ohio Democrats Split Over Trans Athlete Stance as Ramaswamy, Acton Agree on Bans

When the U.S. Supreme Court upheld state bans on transgender athletes competing in women's and girls' sports, the immediate reactions from Ohio's two leading gubernatorial candidates sounded remarkably similar. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy called the ruling common sense. Democrat Dr. Amy Acton said she does not support boys playing in girls' sports and would enforce the law as governor.

The agreement between the two rivals on this hot-button issue has ignited a fierce debate within the Democratic Party about how candidates should handle questions involving transgender athletes and LGBTQ+ rights. The fallout in Ohio offers a window into the broader struggle Democrats face as they try to win back voters who shifted to President Donald Trump in 2024.

What did the Supreme Court decide about trans athletes?

The high court upheld state laws that bar transgender athletes from competing on teams matching their gender identity. Ohio's law, known as H.B. 68, also prohibits minors from receiving gender-affirming care. Current Republican Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed the measure, but the GOP supermajority in the state legislature overrode him.

Ramaswamy, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur, told a Toledo newspaper that Ohio has barred men from competing with women in women's sports and that the Supreme Court now held it constitutional. He pledged to enforce the law.

Acton, a physician who served as DeWine's public health director, issued a statement saying the issue is settled law in Ohio. As a doctor, public servant, and a mom, she said she will always stand up for fairness and protect kids' health and safety.

Why are Ohio LGBTQ+ groups upset with Acton?

Acton's statement landed poorly with LGBTQ+ leaders who had been enthusiastic about her candidacy. Many felt her language misgendered trans children and mirrored phrasing favored by Trump's MAGA movement. They expected additional reassurances, but none came publicly or privately.

Equality Ohio, one of the state's largest LGBTQ+ rights groups, downgraded Acton's rating on its 2026 Candidate Scorecard from an A to pending. The group said the door remains open for accountability if Acton takes meaningful steps forward. Ramaswamy's F rating stayed unchanged.

A meeting between Acton's campaign, state party officials, and LGBTQ+ stakeholders only inflamed tensions. Attendees told The 19th that the session felt less like a conversation and more like a chance for people to air concerns without any response. One participant described the campaign manager as looking like someone who wanted to crawl under the table.

Another attendee said they left feeling the misgendering was intentional and a cynical, consultant-driven play to appeal to conservative voters. The campaign later said Acton is committed to standing up to discrimination and ensuring all Ohioans receive equal protection under the law.

How are other Democratic gubernatorial candidates handling this issue?

Acton's position puts her at the conservative end of approaches taken by Democrats in the country's five most competitive gubernatorial races.

In Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms said she understands there are important differences between male and female athletes in competitive sports. But she believes decisions about athletic participation should be made by athletic governing bodies, not politicians. She also said the government should not weigh in on medical decisions by Georgians and their physicians.

In Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said decisions regarding trans athletes should be left to the state's high school athletics association. He told HuffPost that Democrats don't have to capitulate and get involved in cultural wars Republicans throw out there.

In Nevada, Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford said he personally does not support trans athletes competing in sports opposite their gender assigned at birth. But he accused Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo of using the issue as a political ploy to drum up support for his flailing reelection campaign.

What is Rob Sand saying in Iowa?

Iowa's Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand responded with a simple no when a conservative radio host asked whether biological males should play women's sports. But the state auditor has also backed protections for trans people.

Sand said it was wrong for Iowa Republicans to repeal state civil rights protections for trans people. Iowa was the first state in the country to do so. You should not be fired from your job in the state of Iowa for being different, he said. You should not be evicted from your apartment.

Polls have for months shown Sand leading Republican businessman Zach Lahn. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report recently moved the Iowa gubernatorial contest from toss up to leans Democratic.

What do Democratic strategists say about the party's approach?

John Neffinger, a Democratic strategist and past communications director for the Democratic National Committee, said candidates should remember that a majority of voters believe trans people should be protected from discrimination. He pointed to a 2025 statement from Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto as an effective example of messaging that resonates with middle-of-the-road voters.

Cortez Masto said she supports fair play and safety and does not support transgender athletes competing in girls' and women's sports when it compromises those principles. She said local schools, student athletes, coaches, and parents are much better equipped to implement fair, strong policies on this issue than politicians in Congress.

Neffinger said saying no boys in girls' sports feels like the latest way to dodge the issue. It doesn't look like leadership, it looks like a cop-out, and it actually feels like you're picking on trans kids.

What happened in Virginia's 2025 governor's race?

Democrats point to Virginia as a model for how to handle anti-trans attacks. Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger beat Republican Winsome Earle-Sears by more than 15 points, despite Earle-Sears spending as much as $9 million attacking Spanberger's support for trans rights.

Spanberger introduced voters to her values early on, then took on anti-trans attacks as a matter of discrimination. She emphasized that parents and doctors should make decisions for children and took voters' concerns about fairness in sports seriously.

What is at stake in Ohio?

Recent polls show Acton and Ramaswamy nearly tied, trading single-digit leads well within margins of error. Ramaswamy is a billionaire self-funding his campaign with the backing of tech billionaire Peter Thiel.

More than 11 percent of Ohio's adult population is LGBTQ+, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Research shows queer people vote at higher rates than the overall adult public. The fallout with LGBTQ+ groups could dampen their willingness to support Acton by donating money, putting signs in yards, or phonebanking.

Nan Whaley, the former Democratic mayor of Dayton and the party's 2022 gubernatorial nominee, said trans Ohioans have shared fears with her about their safety. Some have asked whether they should leave the state given its politics.

If Vivek Ramaswamy wins, Whaley said she doesn't know what she can say to them. But she knows what she can say if Amy Acton is governor. That's what's at stake.

Governors are uniquely positioned to defend or reject anti-trans bills. Congress remains deadlocked on all but the most pressing legislation, and the Supreme Court decided that state bans on trans athletes can stand. The legality of Ohio's ban on gender-affirming care remains a live question before the state Supreme Court.