Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed stated that he is "not running to govern sports" when asked about transgender athletes, suggesting that the issue is manufactured and serves to distract from economic problems.
During a "60 Minutes" interview with correspondent Ross Douthat, El-Sayed argued that issues like transgender participation in sports are often used to divert attention from pressing economic concerns such as the cost of living and healthcare. "A lot of the cultural war issues that get fought right now are about trying to distract us from the fact that we can't afford our gas, can't afford our groceries, can't see a doctor, are worried about whether or not our kids are going to have a good life," he said.
El-Sayed's comments came as Douthat raised questions about parental control over education and tensions between some Muslim voters and cultural liberalism, using transgender students' participation on sports teams as an example. El-Sayed countered that the free flow of information via smartphones and the internet makes it difficult for parents to shield children from objectionable ideas, advocating instead for parents to explain their beliefs and guide their children.
This stance contrasts with El-Sayed's previous positions. In a March 2018 interview during his campaign for Michigan governor, he stated that the state should "protect access to bathrooms, to locker rooms, to sports teams of choice for young people," arguing that exclusion could exacerbate bullying and mental health issues for transgender students.
El-Sayed faces Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in the upcoming election for the Michigan Senate seat held by retiring Democrat Gary Peters. Rogers has taken a different approach to the issue, previously signing a commitment to support legislation preserving female opportunities and stating that "biological men should not be competing with our daughters, period." Rogers also featured the issue in a campaign advertisement.
The debate over transgender athletes has also led to federal investigations and litigation in Michigan. The U.S. Education Department announced it was opening Title IX investigations into three school districts over allegations concerning athletic participation and locker-room access based on gender identity. Separately, a lawsuit was filed by a Monroe volleyball player and her father against Monroe Public Schools and other entities, alleging that school officials concealed an opposing transgender player's participation and allowed shared locker-room facilities. In October, the Monroe school board voted to restrict girls' sports and locker rooms to biological females.
At the collegiate level, the NCAA updated its policy in February 2025, prohibiting athletes assigned male at birth from competing on women's teams while allowing them to practice with those teams. Federally, a motion to advance the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would define sex for Title IX athletics compliance based on reproductive biology and genetics at birth, fell short of the required threshold in the Senate.