{"id":21155,"date":"2026-07-29T17:42:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T12:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=21155"},"modified":"2026-07-29T17:42:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T12:42:09","slug":"iowa-candidate-christina-bohannan-called-state-a-backwater-on-transgender-athletes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=21155","title":{"rendered":"Iowa candidate Christina Bohannan called state a &#8216;backwater&#8217; on transgender athletes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"beyondwords-wrapper\" data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"beyondwords-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">A Democrat hoping to flip one of the country\u2019s most competitive House seats called her state a &#8220;backwater&#8221; over Republican efforts to bar transgender athletes from girls&#8217; and women&#8217;s sports, according to unearthed footage obtained by Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">House candidate Christina Bohannan made the comments during a 2021 legislative forum while opposing a GOP proposal barring biological males from competing on female sports teams.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Bohannan&#8217;s comments could provide fresh ammunition for Republicans as the repeat candidate seeks a third bid against Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, in a swing district that President Donald Trump carried by more than eight points in 2024.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;They\u2019re introducing these bills and making these comments to try to make a point,&#8221; Bohannan, who previously served in the Iowa state legislature, said, referring to her GOP colleagues. &#8220;And I think even that is really damaging to people and sends a very bad message about our state that\u2019s going to make the state look like a backwater.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/343\/192\/Christina-Bohannan.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/686\/384\/Christina-Bohannan.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/672\/378\/Christina-Bohannan.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1344\/756\/Christina-Bohannan.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/931\/523\/Christina-Bohannan.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1862\/1046\/Christina-Bohannan.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/720\/405\/Christina-Bohannan.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1440\/810\/Christina-Bohannan.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1200\/675\/Christina-Bohannan.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Christina Bohannan speaking at a press conference at Washington County Hospitals &amp; Clinics.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Christina Bohannan, candidate for Iowa&#8217;s 1st Congressional District, holds a press conference after a visit to the Washington County Hospitals &amp; Clinics on July 30, 2025, in Washington, Iowa.<\/span> <span>(Julia Hansen\/Iowa City Press-Citizen)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2523957\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/fox-news-power-rankings-democrats-lead-house-redistricting-keeps-gop-game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: DEMOCRATS LEAD IN THE HOUSE, BUT REDISTRICTING KEEPS THE GOP IN THE GAME<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Iowa, under Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, enacted a transgender athletes ban in 2022. Bohannan <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2523958\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.iowa.gov\/docs\/publications\/HJNL\/20220221_HJNL.pdf#page=16\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">voted against<\/a> the measure.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The comments are the latest instance of Bohannan torching <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2523959\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/us-regions\/midwest\/iowa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Iowa<\/a> for rejecting left-wing policies.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Bohannan also said in 2021 the Hawkeye State would be seen as &#8220;backwards&#8221; if lawmakers approved a bill prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training at <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2523960\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/campus-controversy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">public schools and universities.<\/a> Reynolds signed the legislation later that year.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;I think that it&#8217;s going to send a very bad message about Iowa and that it is going to seem like\u2026this backwards state that doesn&#8217;t understand there are things like systemic racism,&#8221; the Democrat hopeful said on the &#8220;Under the Dome&#8221; podcast in 2021.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Bohannan notably served as chairwoman of the University of Iowa College of Law&#8217;s DEI committee, where she urged students to support the Black Lives Matter movement, <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2523961\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/queen-dei-running-congress-ripped-her-rural-state-backwards-podcast\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fox News Digital previously reported.<\/a> In that role, she sent students a letter encouraging them to financially contribute to several activist funds, some of which supported defunding police.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Bohannan lost to Miller-Meeks by fewer than 800 votes in 2024, making it the closest House race in the nation. She also launched a failed run for the seat in 2022.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/343\/192\/transgender-athlete-protest-supreme-court-fox-news-001.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/686\/384\/transgender-athlete-protest-supreme-court-fox-news-001.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/672\/378\/transgender-athlete-protest-supreme-court-fox-news-001.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1344\/756\/transgender-athlete-protest-supreme-court-fox-news-001.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/931\/523\/transgender-athlete-protest-supreme-court-fox-news-001.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1862\/1046\/transgender-athlete-protest-supreme-court-fox-news-001.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/720\/405\/transgender-athlete-protest-supreme-court-fox-news-001.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1440\/810\/transgender-athlete-protest-supreme-court-fox-news-001.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1200\/675\/transgender-athlete-protest-supreme-court-fox-news-001.jpeg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Protesters against transgender athletes competing in women's sports gather outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Protesters against transgender athletes competing in women&#8217;s sports gathered outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 13, 2026, as two cases about transgender girls joining girls&#8217; and women&#8217;s sports teams were heard inside the court.<\/span> <span>(Heather Diehl\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2523962\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/battleground-democrat-flip-flops-conversion-therapy-after-left-wing-backlash\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>BATTLEGROUND DEMOCRAT FLIP-FLOPS ON CONVERSION THERAPY AFTER LEFT-WING BACKLASH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The nonpartisan Cook Political Report says the rematch contest is a &#8220;toss-up.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which is aggressively working to re-elect Miller-Meeks to a third House term, sharply criticized Bohannan&#8217;s remarks in a statement to Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Liberal Christina Bohannan didn&#8217;t just vote against protecting girls&#8217; sports, she mocked Iowans for standing up for women and girls,&#8221; NRCC spokeswoman Emily Tuttle said.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Bohannan has made it clear she&#8217;s for they\/them, not Iowa families,&#8221; Tuttle continued, invoking Trump&#8217;s signature attack line against former Vice President Kamala Harris.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Fox News Digital reached out to Bohannan for comment.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Bohannan&#8217;s remarks come as transgender issues continue to split Democrats, while public polling has shown broad support for limiting girls&#8217; and women&#8217;s sports to biological females.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">A <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2523963\" href=\"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/newsgraphics\/documenttools\/f548560f100205ef\/e656ddda-full.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">New York Times\/Ipsos poll<\/a> released in 2025 found that nearly eight in 10 Americans opposed biological males participating in women\u2019s sports. Roughly 70% of Democrats or Democrat-leaning respondents held the same position, according to the survey.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Miller-Meeks cheered the Supreme Court in June upholding <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_2523964\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/sports\/supreme-court-makes-ruling-trans-athletes-womens-sports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">state-level bans<\/a> on biological males participating on female sports teams.<\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/343\/192\/rep-mariannette-miller-meeks-news-conference.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/686\/384\/rep-mariannette-miller-meeks-news-conference.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/672\/378\/rep-mariannette-miller-meeks-news-conference.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1344\/756\/rep-mariannette-miller-meeks-news-conference.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/931\/523\/rep-mariannette-miller-meeks-news-conference.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1862\/1046\/rep-mariannette-miller-meeks-news-conference.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/720\/405\/rep-mariannette-miller-meeks-news-conference.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1440\/810\/rep-mariannette-miller-meeks-news-conference.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1200\/675\/rep-mariannette-miller-meeks-news-conference.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks attends a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, attends a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center after a meeting of the House Republican Conference on Dec. 16, 2025.<\/span> <span>(CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Today\u2019s Supreme Court decision is a win for girls&#8217; sports,&#8221; the Iowa lawmaker said in a statement following the ruling. &#8220;I have and will continue to fight to ensure every female athlete has a fair chance.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Bohannan, by contrast, did not appear to publicly comment on the ruling.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><i>Fox News Digital&#8217;s Elaine Mallon contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A Democrat hoping to flip one of the country\u2019s most competitive House seats called her state a &#8220;backwater&#8221; over Republican efforts to bar transgender athletes from girls&#8217; and women&#8217;s sports, according to unearthed footage obtained by Fox News Digital. House candidate Christina Bohannan made the comments during&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21156,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Christina-Bohannan.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21155\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}