Republicans spend $183 million on transgender-focused ads in 2024 midterm elections

Republicans spent $183 million on 217,000 anti-transgender television ads during the 2026 midterms, concentrating funds in Senate races in Texas and Ohio. While an AP-NORC poll showed 80% of voters prioritized the economy over gender policy, the GOP leveraged cultural issues alongside state ballot measures on abortion, redistricting, and transgender restrictions.

Campaign spending on transgender advertisements

• ▪Republicans spent an estimated $183 million on approximately 217,000 television spots targeting Democrats over transgender issues through October 25, 2026.
• ▪Republican organizations directed transgender-focused advertising campaigns into competitive U.S. Senate races in South Carolina, Kansas, Iowa, and Mississippi.
• ▪Democratic campaigns spent roughly $11 million on transgender-related television advertisements in 2026, primarily to defend against Republican attack spots.

Transgender advertising in the Texas Senate contest

• ▪In the Texas U.S. Senate contest between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico, Republican groups spent $58 million on over 50,000 transgender-focused ad airings.
• ▪Texas PAC, funded primarily by Elon Musk, spent over $23 million to run a single anti-transgender ad against Democratic candidate James Talarico nearly 17,000 times.

Transgender-focused advertisements in Ohio

• ▪Television advertisements produced by the Senate Leadership Fund featured an individual who detransitioned following minor surgery to criticize Ohio Democratic candidate Sherrod Brown.
• ▪Republican groups led by the Senate Leadership Fund PAC spent nearly $26 million on transgender-themed television advertisements targeting Democratic candidate Sherrod Brown in Ohio.

Donald Trump campaign messaging

• ▪During campaign rallies in October 2026, Donald Trump focused speeches on criticizing youth gender transition procedures and transgender participation in women's sports.
• ▪Donald Trump downplayed surging gasoline prices and rising living costs during his 2026 campaign, framing Democratic policies regarding children as an urgent threat.

Voter attitudes toward transgender issues

• ▪Jerry Casner, a retired Army depot worker in Pennsylvania, stated he supports Republican candidates based on their opposition to Democratic positions regarding gender identity.
• ▪Republican pollster Chris Wilson stated that voter stances on transgender policy act as a proxy for evaluating candidate values rather than representing a top voting priority.
• ▪An October 2026 AP-NORC poll showed that 10% of registered voters prioritized transgender issues, compared to 80% who cited the economy and living costs.

Ballot measures restricting youth transgender procedures

• ▪In November 2026, voters in Colorado, Missouri, Washington, Arizona, and Nebraska will consider six ballot initiatives restricting youth transgender surgeries or sports participation.
• ▪A Missouri ballot proposition proposes reinstating a near-total abortion ban combined with a prohibition on gender transition surgeries for minors.

State ballot measures on abortion rights

• ▪An Idaho statutory ballot measure aims to override the state's near-total abortion ban, though the Republican-led legislature retains power to overturn it if approved.
• ▪Voters in Nevada and Virginia will evaluate constitutional amendments to guarantee abortion access in their respective state constitutions.
• ▪Abortion rights advocacy groups spent $22.5 million on television advertising in Missouri, compared to $8.7 million spent by anti-abortion organizations.

Missouri redistricting ballot referendum

• ▪Missouri voters will decide a ballot referendum on whether to implement a Republican congressional gerrymander previously paused by court challenges.
• ▪Opponents of the Missouri redistricting referendum raised $6 million, supported by Democratic donors including Reid Hoffman and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

Maryland redistricting initiative

• ▪Maryland Governor Wes Moore is promoting a constitutional amendment enabling state lawmakers to redraft congressional districts to eliminate Maryland's single Republican House seat.
• ▪Former President Barack Obama cut a campaign advertisement supporting the proposed Maryland redistricting constitutional amendment in October 2026.