Republicans redrew his district. Now Democrat Don Davis is making anti-trans campaign ads

Democratic Congressman Don Davis is embracing Republican anti-trans talking points about transgender people’s participation in sports in a new ad.

As the North Carolina congressman runs for reelection under a newly Republican-gerrymandered congressional map, Davis appears on a football field and discusses the importance of “fairness” in sports.

“I spent my childhood on fields like this and played football at the Air Force Academy. Fair competition was at the heart of those games, but let’s be honest: there’s real concerns about fairness and safety,” he says to the camera. “That’s why I believe states should decide what’s right for protecting women and girls, and North Carolina has decided. I approve this message because there should always be a safe and fair space for women and girls in sports.”

The North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s school and college sports teams, and overrode a veto by then-Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, to enact it. That was part of a series of anti-transgender bills the Republican-controlled Legislature pushed through in 2023 during a nationwide assault on trans rights. Cooper now appears to be the favorite in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race.

Davis was already serving in Congress at the time, and his ad now signals support for leaving the state’s restrictions in place. That stance contrasts with his previous support for the Equality Act, which he co-sponsored and which would expand federal protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

This is not the first time Davis has disappointed members of the LGBTQ+ community. He was one of eight Democrats in the House to vote for a “don’t say trans” bill that could force the outing of students in schools.

Davis is also one of the top targets for House Republicans, who have weaponized transgender rights against Democrats for multiple election cycles and appear to be leaning into the issue again.

He is facing Republican Laurie Buckhout in a rematch after defeating her in 2024 by roughly 6,000 votes, WITN reported. But that was before Republicans approved a mid-decade redistricting plan that made his district more Republican-leaning. The Cook Political Report rates the race for North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District as leaning Republican, despite a national political environment generally favorable to Democrats heading into the midterms.