Democratic strongholds appear to have backed one conservative issue at the polls with multiple blue states voting in favor of measures banning transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports in the midterms. 

On a bleak and crushing night for Donald Trump and the Republican party, the President was provided a small respite from defeat as four states passed or were trending towards passing measures that support his policy of banning biological males from female sports in the midterm elections.

Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska and Washington all had measures on Tuesday’s ballot that, if passed, would block the participation of transgender athletes in girls’ sports at school to college level. 

As of Wednesday morning, voters in Arizona and Nebraska had passed their respective initiatives, while Colorado and Washington were still too early to call but appeared to be trending towards voting in favor of their own. 

Arizona, a state with a Democratic governor and senators, approved Proposition 318 in the midterms by a considerable margin of 58.9 percent, according to the Associated Press polls. 

The measure builds on the state’s existing ban on transgender athletes competing in girls’ sports at school level, expanding restrictions to private schools and athletic associations, including those overseeing youth and college sports.

Despite a crushing midterm election for Donald Trump, multiple states voted to pass measures supporting his push to ban transgender athletes from women and girls’ sports

It also further requires schools and athletic associations to restrict access to athletic facilities, such as locker rooms and restrooms, banning athletes from entering spaces that are not designated for their gender assigned at birth. 

Nebraska’s Initiative 442, which overwhelmingly passed by 68 percent, amends the state’s constitution to require schools to designate sports teams as male, female or coeducational with female teams reserved for biological females. 

The measure applies to public schools and colleges, as well as private institutions whose teams compete against public schools.

Nebraska, which re-elected its incumbent Republican governor and senator, already had a law restricting biological males from competing in women’s sports after Gov. Jim Pillen signed the Stand With Women Act last year. The new approved initiative adds the measure to the state constitution, making it harder to overturn in the future. 

Votes are still being counted in Washington and Colorado, two overwhelmingly liberal and Democratic states. However, both are currently projected to pass their respective ballot measures, albeit by narrower margins. 

Colorado is voting on Proposition 134 – the Protect Women and Girls Sports Act – which requires student athletes to participate on teams that match their sex assigned at birth. It also requires schools, colleges and athletic associations to designate sports teams as male, female or coeducational.

Jennifer Sey, chair of Colorado’s Proposition 134 and XX-XY Athletics founder, was encouraged by early results in the state. 

‘I am cautiously optimistic that in a deep blue state, with a deep blue election wave, the voters will have said “protect girls’ sports” when all votes are counted,’ Sey said in a statement to the Daily Mail.

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen (pictured) signed the Stand With Women Act last year

Campaigners against trans athletes in women’s sports are pictured outside a WNBA game

‘Proposition 134 asked Colorado voters a simple question: Should girls’ sports be reserved for girls?

‘For years, that question was answered for everyday people by backroom cowards who never asked actual voters what they want for their daughters. They ignored common sense in favor of an ideology that dictates that men can be women if they just say so. No one ever voted for this.

‘And now, it looks like Coloradans will have changed that in one of the bluest states in the country. Real people brought this measure to the ballot through a citizen initiative, and voters got to decide for themselves.

‘This was never a partisan issue. It’s a common-sense issue. Basic truth and biological reality don’t have a party. This was always about right vs wrong, not right vs left. My fondest hope is that now, this gives other Democratic states the courage to do the same and pass legislation to protect girls sports.’

Voters in Washington also appear to be leaning towards passing the state’s ballot measure to ban trans athletes from women’s sports. 

If passed, Measure 638 would prohibit students who were assigned male at birth from competing with or against female student athletes in sports for female students only.

It would also require students competing in sports to provide a statement from a health care provider verifying their sex. 

27 states have already passed policies that separate biological males from competing in women’s sports in K-12. However, all of those policies were passed by state legislature rather than the popular vote. 

Trump signed an executive order in 2025 aimed at keeping trans athletes out of women’s sport

Arizona and Nebraska have therefore become the first two states to enact the policy through voter approval.

The President signed an executive order in February 2025 aimed at keeping trans athletes out of girls’ and women’s sports.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis pushed back against the order last year, while Washington outright rejected the order with the state’s Superintendent Chris Reykdal immediately speaking out against the policy.

Reykdal said in a statement that the order tried to force schools to ‘discriminate against trans female athletes’ in exchange for federal funds, and that it sought to ‘restrict transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports with their peers.’

He called the order unlawful, saying it contradicted the Washington Law Against Discrimination and state school rules. He added: ‘Our state law prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and we will not back down from that.’

Both Arizona and Nebraska backed the policy with Gov. Pillen and Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen attending the White House for the signing of the order.