Analysis of anti-trans political spending
The gist
Republicans aired transgender-themed ads about 217,000 times at an estimated $183 million through Oct. 25.
The spending dwarfs the roughly 160 trans high-school athletes it targets.
How it unfolded
- Nov 6, 2024Republicans spent nearly $215 million on network TV ads vilifying transgender people in the 2024 cycle, per AdImpact data cited by Washington Post reporter Casey Parks; the figure excludes cable and streaming.
- Oct 8, 2026South Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Annie Andrews released a direct-to-camera ad saying she would oppose "gender surgery for minors" and "men in women's sports."
- Oct 25, 2026Republicans had aired transgender-themed ads around 217,000 times at an estimated $183 million through Oct. 25, up from $151 million in the 2024 general election at the same number of days prior, per AdImpact.