Arizona Voters Approve Women’s Sports Transgender Ban Despite Voting For Democrats Statewide

Arizona voters approved a ballot measure Tuesday restricting transgender athletes to competing in sports based on their biological sex while also reelecting their Democratic governor.

Arizona voters approved Proposition 318, which forces athletics of any level to separate teams by biological sex and prevents students from accessing locker rooms or bathrooms meant for the opposite sex. Arizona reelected Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and other Democrats to statewide offices.

While Arizona public schools are currently forced by law to restrict sports participation based on biological sex, the new proposition will expand the restrictions to private schools and collegiate athletics

Hobbs defeated Republican Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs in the governor race, winning 55% of the vote as of Wednesday. Democrat incumbent Kris Mayes was reelected as state attorney general, earning 55% of the vote. Democrat incumbent Adrian Fontes was reelected as secretary of state, also winning with 55% of the vote. The initiative reforming athletics earned 59% of the vote.

Hobbs was a transgender supporter in her first term as governor. Hobbs issued an executive order in 2023 ensuring state healthcare plans included coverage for sex-change surgeries. Hobbs previously vetoed bills restricting public funding from going to drag queen story hours and bills assigning bathroom use based on biological sex.

President Donald Trump endorsed Hobbs’ challenger, Biggs. Biggs’ defeat follows the losses of many Trump-backed candidates Tuesday, including Darline Graham, Ken Paxton and Mike Rogers.

Nebraska passed an initiative to remove biological men from women’s sports, and as of Wednesday morning, ballot initiatives restricting participation in sports based on sex are leading in Colorado and Washington State.

Republicans spent $183 million on TV advertisements touching on transgenderism in the 2026 election cycle, with fewer than 10% of voters considering transgender issues “one of the most important issues” in the midterms, according to an AP-NORC poll from October.

Meanwhile, 80% of voters considered the economy or cost of living to be “one of the most important issues,” according to the same poll. The poll found that only 17% of adults approved of Trump’s handling of the cost of living.