Yesterday, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf vetoed legislation that would have prohibited biological males from competing in female athletics at the K-12 and collegiate levels. GOP gubernatorial nominee, state Sen. Doug Mastriano, was a sponsor and strong supporter of the bill, while Democrat nominee, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, previously derided the legislation as “cruel.”

A May poll of Senate battleground states by American Principles Project (APP) found that Pennsylvania voters supported banning biological males from female sports by a 21-point margin (53 percent to 32 percent).

In response, APP President Terry Schilling released the following statement slamming Wolf’s veto:

“Every girl athlete deserves access to a fair playing field and an equal opportunity to compete for scholarships and titles. Ensuring female sports are reserved for women and girls ought to be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, thanks to the actions of Gov. Wolf and his Democrat allies, athletic opportunities for Pennsylvania girls are now under serious threat.

“But while opposing this bill may have helped Wolf and Josh Shapiro curry favor with radical leftist activists, it will not help them with Pennsylvania voters, a strong majority of whom support protecting women’s sports. This will be a serious liability for Democrats in November, and Republicans like Doug Mastriano are smart to be drawing this contrast.

“As long as Democrats continue to side against biological reality and sanity, they should expect to pay a political price. And that begins this fall.”

To schedule an engagement with American Principles Project, contact Paul Dupont at (o) 202-503-2010 or pdupont@americanprinciplesproject.org.