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WATCH: Battleground Democrat called Iowa a ‘backwater’ over transgender athletes ban
Fox News Digital unearthed footage of Iowa Democratic congressional candidate Christina Bohannan describing her state as a "backwater" in 2021 while she opposed legislation that would bar transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports. Bohannan is seeking to flip a competitive US House seat, and the resurfaced remarks are likely to be used against her by Republicans as she campaigns in a state that has since enacted the very restrictions she opposed.
Bohannan made the comments during a 2021 legislative forum, warning that Iowa would become a "backwater" if lawmakers went ahead with the ban. Iowa subsequently enacted the transgender athletes ban in 2022, and the issue remains politically charged heading into the midterm elections, with such laws polling well among broader segments of the electorate.
In short
- Fox unearthed 2021 clip of Iowa Dem Bohannan opposing trans sports ban.
- She called Iowa a "backwater" over the proposed restrictions.
- Iowa passed the ban in 2022; Bohannan is a House candidate.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Bohannan's characterisation of her state as a 'backwater' for supporting transgender athlete restrictions reveals an elitist contempt for mainstream Iowa values, particularly troubling given that voters subsequently enacted precisely the legislation she opposed and such restrictions poll well across the electorate. The comment demonstrates that she is fundamentally misaligned with her constituents' priorities and lacks the judgment expected of a representative.
The case against
Extracting a single hyperbolic phrase from a 2021 legislative debate and weaponising it years later exemplifies cynical political gotcha tactics that distract from substantive policy differences. Bohannan was expressing principled opposition to legislation she genuinely believed discriminatory; most voters evaluating a congressional candidate focus on tangible issues like the economy and healthcare rather than heated rhetoric from past forums taken out of context.
Explained simply
Several US states, including Iowa, have enacted laws restricting which sports teams transgender athletes can join, typically requiring them to compete based on their biological sex rather than their gender identity. These restrictions have become politically contentious, with supporters arguing they protect fairness in women's sports whilst opponents contend they discriminate against transgender people.
Christina Bohannan is a Democrat running for a competitive Congressional seat in Iowa. In 2021, before Iowa had passed such a ban, she spoke publicly against the restrictions, arguing the state would become a "backwater" if lawmakers went ahead.
Iowa did enact a transgender athletes ban in 2022. The issue has remained politically charged in Iowa. These past comments are relevant because Bohannan is seeking election in a state where voters have now supported the policy she opposed.