Riley Gaines, a campaigner for female-only sports categories, has endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his US Senate race against Democratic state representative James Talarico. Gaines cited Paxton’s record on transgender participation in women’s sport and transition-related healthcare for minors, while criticising Talarico’s past opposition to Texas school-sports legislation. The endorsement highlights how transgender rights and women’s sport are likely to feature prominently in the contest.

Paxton sued the NCAA in December 2024 over its then-policy on transgender athletes; the NCAA subsequently restricted women’s competition to athletes recorded female at birth in February 2025. Talarico has said transgender people deserve dignity and equality, has opposed gender-reassignment surgery for minors, and says Republican attacks misrepresent his views; PolitiFact found advertisements claiming he supported such surgeries inaccurate. Paxton won the Republican runoff in May and Talarico won the Democratic primary, with the general election scheduled for 3 November.