One of the most vulnerable House Democrats of the 2026 election cycle is being hammered from the left and right for her stance on transgender youth.Longtime Rep.Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, is facing one of her toughest re-election battles yet, partially thanks to Buckeye State Republicans redrawing the boundaries of her district to include more GOP voters.In what appears to be an appeal to those voters, Kaptur recently sent out mailers touting her opposition to biological males playing on girls' school sports teams.
"Unlike the far left, I believe boys shouldn't play girls' sports," the mailed campaign ad, obtained by Fox News Digital, said.The other side touted that Kaptur "voted to ban schools from touting gender ideology in classrooms."VULNERABLE DEMOCRATS FLIP ON WOMEN'S SPORTS VOTE AFTER OPPOSING SIMILAR BILLS AS MIDTERMS LOOMRep.Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, attends a news conference being conducted by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson in the Rayburn Room at the U.S.
Capitol on Oct.29, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)The moderate Ohio Democrat was referring to her vote in May of this year in favor of the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, which would condition federal funding to public elementary and middle schools on those schools obtaining parents' permission before any sex or gender accommodations for students are made.POWERFUL LGBTQ+ GROUP'S ENDORSEMENTS COULD TANK VULNERABLE DEMS OVER RADICAL YOUTH TRANS AGENDAShe also referenced that vote in a campaign ad, in which she said, "I voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of our schools, because parents know best for their kids.And boys should not play in girls' sports."House Republicans' campaign arm pointed out, however, that Kaptur is also a supporter of the Equality Act.
That bill, introduced in April 2025, includes language to prohibit public schools from discriminating based on sexual orientation or gender identity.Kaptur is a co-sponsor of the bill.Demonstr...