Democrats challenge voter-approved girls’ sports protections
The ‘Outnumbered’ panel discusses Democratic efforts to overturn voter-approved protections for girls’ sports, including measures in Washington and Colorado. They also examine divisions within the Republican Party as Reps. Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan compete for House leadership following the midterm elections.
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Voters in two Democratic strongholds approved restrictions on transgender participation in girls’ sports last week, delivering rare Republican victories amid a blue wave. But Democratic officials are already discussing ways to change the measures, drawing accusations of hypocrisy from Republicans who point to their support for the “No Kings” movement.
Colorado Gov.-elect Philip Weiser, who also criticized a separate ballot measure restricting gender-related surgeries for minors, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal , D-Wash., both raised objections to the measures approved in their respective states.
At his first post-election news conference, he suggested Colorado’s Democratic-controlled legislature could revisit the voter-approved measures, saying that it is “statutory … and a natural and I believe appropriate role for the legislature to say ‘what are the adjustments that need to be added.”
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Colorado voters approved ballot measures increasing penalties for fentanyl-related offenses, restricting transgender athletes from competing in sports designated for the opposite biological sex and prohibiting gender-related surgeries for minors. The measures passed even as Democrats swept into power across the state.
“I don’t believe it would be acceptable to Colorado to have every student athlete to have to go through full-body examinations or other invasions of privacy,” Weiser added of the sports-related referendum, according to the Denver Post.
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Colorado Gov.-elect Philip Weiser, pictured July 22, 2025, suggested changes to voter-approved ballot measures following the November 2026 election. (Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Weiser did not respond to a request for comment.
Republicans in suburban Denver criticized the governor-elect, dubbing him “King Phil I” and characterizing his response as “know[ing] better than Colorado voters in a healthy democracy.”
“But before the ink on the ballots is even dry, Governor-elect Phil Weiser is already signaling that the vote of the people is merely a ‘suggestion’. With Coloradans approving ballot measures to crack down on fentanyl and protect youth sports and children, Weiser walked up to the podium on Wednesday and essentially declared that the will of the majority needs to pass his personal vibe check first,” the Adams County Republican Party said in a statement.
Republicans characterized Weiser’s position as “you voted for it, but I don’t like it…”
“No Kings,” the Adams Republicans added, invoking the protest movement that Weiser has supported through participation in “No Kings” protests. The movement’s demonstrations have criticized President Donald Trump over what organizers characterize as authoritarian conduct.
The Colorado House Republican caucus echoed the sentiment, adding in a statement: “If the Democrats truly believe there should be ‘No Kings’ in America, it is time they take their own advice.”
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Meanwhile, in Washington State, Jayapal condemned a similar measure approved by voters.
Initiative 638 prohibits students defined as “biologically male” from competing in girls’ K-12 school sports and requires students seeking to participate on girls’ teams to provide verification of their biological sex from a health care provider. The measure passed with approximately 56% support in the reliably Democratic state.
Following the election results, multiple local news outlets reported that Jayapal pledged to “take our state back” after voters approved the initiative.
“We’re going to start planning for how we overturn these bad initiatives and how we go back to loving everyone with gender inclusivity the way we have for decades,” she said, according to several reports.
Jayapal did not respond to a request for comment.
Critics also pointed to Jayapal’s past support for “No Kings” protests, accusing her of contradicting her own rhetoric about respecting the will of voters.
One critic highlighted a November 2025 social media post in which Jayapal wrote: “We have democracy for a reason. America doesn’t belong to kings it belongs to the people and we’re going to keep it that way.”
“Rep. Jayapal, this you?” they asked.
Jayapal also faced previous criticism over her support for the “No Kings” movement after praising remarks by Britain’s King Charles III during his visit to the United States.
Washington Democratic Party Chair Shasti Conrad signaled support for a legal challenge, calling the ballot measure “unconstitutional on its face” and indicating the party would “support [for] organizations planning to challenge it in court.”
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Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., speaks during a House Budget Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on April 15, 2026. Jayapal criticized a Washington state ballot measure restricting transgender participation in girls’ sports following the November election. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Under Washington’s Constitution, lawmakers cannot repeal a voter-approved initiative during its first two years but can amend it with a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber. After two years, the legislature can amend or repeal the measure with a simple majority.
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The controversy leaves Democrats in both states confronting a similar political dilemma: whether to preserve the restrictions voters approved or pursue changes through the legislative and judicial processes available to them.