Talarico opposes trans athletes in girls sports ‘if it endangers safety or fairness’

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico in a Wednesday interview expressed his qualified opposition to transgender athletes playing in girls sports, saying such athletes should not be allowed to play if it is not fair or safe.

“I oppose trans athletes playing in girls sports if it endangers safety or fairness. Every sport has to be safe and fair,” Talairco told Fox News’s Brooke Taylor in an interview that aired Wednesday.

“As a former public school teacher, I care a lot about our student athletes, I care a lot about our students. And so I will oppose trans athletes playing in girls sports if it risks safety or fairness,” he added.

Talarico faces Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a key Senate race that could determine which party holds the chamber’s majority next year.

Democrats have not won a Senate seat in Texas in decades, but polling suggests Talarico has a chance to end that losing streak, and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as a toss-up.

Paxton’s political weaknesses are part of the story. Paxton has been dogged by scandal, previously facing impeachment in the Texas House on corruption charges before being acquitted in the Texas Senate.

In a recent poll, Talarico was leading Paxton by 7 points, with 47 percent backing him and 40 percent opting for his Republican opponent.

Transgender issues, including the controversy over girls sports, were used effectively by President Trump and the GOP in the 2024 election against Democrats. Talarico’s remarks are interesting in that context as he seeks a middle road on the issue.

The Supreme Court in June ruled states can restrict transgender girls from competing on girls and women’s school sports teams , keeping bans in Idaho and West Virginia with a 6-3 decision.