A Fox News opinion column published Saturday argued that Democrats in key swing states are politically out of step with the American public by supporting policies that allow athletes assigned male at birth to compete in women’s sports, and warned the stance could cost the party votes in the 2026 midterm elections.
The column, written by attorney and political strategist Mehek Cooke, cited multiple national polls to support its contention that most Americans oppose allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports. Cooke referenced Gallup, NBC News and New York Times/Ipsos surveys that, she wrote, show between roughly 70% and nearly 80% of adults favor competition based on sex assigned at birth.
Cooke singled out individual Democrats in battleground states—naming Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, former Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, former Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Gov. Janet Mills of Maine—and accused them of opposing measures intended to restrict participation in women’s athletics to those assigned female at birth. The column described recent state-level actions such as Georgia’s passage of a measure the piece called the "Riley Gaines Act" and Ohio voters’ approval of what the column termed the SAFE Act as evidence of a national shift toward limiting participation.
The op-ed also noted President Donald Trump’s executive order, signed in February 2025, which restricts participation by athletes assigned male at birth in women’s sports within federally funded programs. Cooke wrote that the order prompted changes among athletic organizations and cited an updated NCAA policy that she said bars a student-athlete assigned male at birth from competing on a women’s team.
The column framed the debate as one about fairness, safety and the legal protections of Title IX, the federal law enacted to prohibit sex-based discrimination in education programs and activities. Cooke argued that those protections are at risk if policies allow participation in women’s sports based on gender identity rather than sex assigned at birth.
Cooke’s piece characterizes the positions of the named Democrats as politically risky in suburban and parent constituencies, and presents the issue as a potential deciding factor for voters in the 2026 midterms. The op-ed described the dispute as a moment of political consequence and urged that Democrats align with what the author described as the overwhelming preference of the American public.
The column also referenced demonstrations at high school postseason meets, saying some girls’ teams and parents have protested trans inclusion. The image accompanying the piece shows female athletes at a California track and field event in May 2025.
The debate over transgender athletes in school and collegiate sports has drawn responses from a range of stakeholders, including state legislatures, national athletic bodies and advocacy groups on both sides of the issue. Proponents of restrictive policies say they protect fairness and safety for female athletes, while advocates for inclusion argue that gender-affirming policies are necessary to protect the civil rights and well-being of transgender athletes.
Cooke’s op-ed makes a political argument as much as a policy one, asserting that Democrats who oppose restrictive measures are alienating voters who prioritize what she termed "commonsense" protections for girls’ athletics. The column concludes by urging voters to hold officials accountable at the ballot box and by framing the issue as central to opportunities for female athletes.
The piece is an editorial opinion and reflects the views of its author. It attributes poll figures and legislative developments to the cited surveys and state actions. Responses from the named officials and organizations referenced in the column were not included in the op-ed.