Republicans seemingly had one notable win from the Tuesday night elections: banning transgender athletes from women's sports.
In four states – Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska and Washington – voters weighed in on ballot initiatives that would restrict student athletes assigned male at birth from playing on girls' sports teams. In Arizona the effort is projected to pass, and it seems likely in the other three, according to reporting on the vote counting thus far.
President Donald Trump frequently advocates for keeping transgender women out of women's sports, and in February 2025, he signed an executive order called "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports." It rescinded
"all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities" and called transgender males playing on women's and girl's teams a danger that deprived girls of privacy. The gender definitions in the order had been previously determined in an earlier, Inauguration Day executive order in which sex was defined as "an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female."
Arizona's Proposition 318 will pass
Arizona's Proposition 318 is projected to pass, according to NBC News and the Associated Press, who both reported double digit margin leads in incomplete Nov. 4 results. This comes at the same time that the state is projected to elect Democrats is a slew of statewide elections, including governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general.
The effort will expand a ban on student-athletes assigned male at birth from joining girls' public school sports teams to include private schools and athletic associations, like Little League baseball or the interscholastic organizations that govern high school sports. The proposition would also prohibit privates schools and athletic associations from allowing people to use restrooms or locker rooms not designated for a person's sex assigned at birth. The legal language defines sex by what is determined on a birth certificate, but it does not outline if schools or associations will be required to check birth certificates.
Colorado, Nebraska and Washington appear headed in same direction
In Colorado, Nebraska and Washington, results were yet to be called by mid-day on Nov. 4, but the votes at this point appear to be pointing toward similar measures passing.
Proposition 134, also known as Initiative 109, in Colorado would require schools from the elementary level through college to have student athletes play on male-only, female-only, or co-ed sports teams, terms that are defined in the proposal by "biological sex in terms of production of reproductive cells." Proposition 135, also known as Initiative 110, in the same state would prevent healthcare professionals from performing surgery on minors with the intention of altering their sex characteristics.
Both NBC News and the Associated Press reported by 2 p.m. EST on Wednesday that votes in favor of these initiatives are leading in Colorado. It comes while the state is projected to re-elect their Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper and Democrats lead in statewide elections for attorney general and lieutenant governor.
Nebraska Initiative Measure 442, is projected to pass by Decision Desk HQ but not yet by a second news outlet. The effort would amend the state constitution to require public schools to designate male, female, and co-ed sports teams using what the measure calls "biological sex." The measure also says female sports teams "shall not be open to students of the male sex."
The conservative effort's win is not much of a surprise in the traditionally Republican state, while Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts is projected to keep his seat.
In liberal-leaning Washington state, Initiative Measure 638 appeared likely to pass early on election night, according to FOX News. If it passed, it would prohibit “biologically male students from competing with and against female students" in school sports. It would also require students to be evaluated by medical providers, who then sign off on a form, in order to participate in female sports.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Republicans win on Trump culture war priority: transgender athletes
