Bohannan Called Iowa a 'Backwater' Over 2022 Trans Athlete Ban as House Race Stays Toss-Up
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 29
Bohannan Called Iowa a 'Backwater' Over 2022 Trans Athlete Ban as House Race Stays Toss-Up
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 29
Summary
Unearthed 2021 footage shows Democrat Christina Bohannan warning Iowa would look like a "backwater" if Republicans barred transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports; the state enacted the ban in 2022.
Bohannan, now seeking a third run against Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa's 1st District, also voted against the measure and had separately said Iowa would seem "backwards" over a 2021 anti-DEI bill.
Republicans quickly seized on the remarks in a race Cook rates a toss-up after Bohannan lost by fewer than 800 votes in 2024, the closest House contest in the nation.
The issue remains politically potent: a 2025 New York Times/Ipsos poll found nearly 8 in 10 Americans opposed biological males competing in women's sports, including about 70% of Democrats or Democratic leaners.
The clash comes after the Supreme Court in June upheld state-level bans on transgender athletes in female sports, a ruling Miller-Meeks praised while Bohannan did not publicly address it.