The governor’s race in California is heating up as multiple candidates from both parties vie to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in January 2027.

Transgender rights figure prominently in a campaign colored by Newsom’s own evolving position on the issue.

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The term-limited governor and all-but-declared candidate for president in 2028 is charting a serpentine course around the demands of trans rights activists and those voters who are open to a populist Democratic message but alienated by a “woke culture” weaponized against the left by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans.

Newsom shocked many supporters when he agreed earlier this year with Charlie Kirk, a guest on Newsom’s podcast (months before the young MAGA conservative influencer was killed), that trans student-athletes competing against girls was “deeply unfair.”

“I think it’s an issue of fairness,” Newsom replied. “I completely agree with you on that. It’s deeply unfair.”

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The governor has signed a number bills shoring up LGBTQ+ and trans rights since, including an expansion of San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener’s (D) “State of Refuge” law for trans people. His signature on the “Youth Sports for All Act” directs a commission to improve access to sports for all groups “regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, income, or geographic location.”

Current California law requires public schools to allow students to participate in sex-segregated sports teams and use facilities based on their gender identity.  

But Newsom still maintains that trans girls participating in school sports is problematic.

“There’s some nuance here,” Newsom said in October when asked about his past statements. “I don’t roll people under the bus, quite the contrary. But when it comes to sports, that’s impacting other people’s rights.”

The governor claimed that there are many others who “have a similar point of view, but don’t say it publicly.”

Who — among Newsom’s possible successors — takes his lead on that issue or rejects it will be a central question throughout the campaign.

Here’s a round-up of 13 declared candidates’ public statements so far on trans student-athletes in sports, many of which were shared with CBS News California affiliates.

Eric Swalwell (D), 45, former U.S. representative

Swalwell is staunchly opposed to banning trans student-athletes from school sports, denouncing Republicans for using the issue for political gain and “voting to invade kids’ locker rooms” to conduct “genitalia checks”. 

Tom Steyer (D), 68, former presidential candidate

The billionaire hedge fund manager from San Francisco dropped over $300 million on a failed bid for president in 2020. Steyer says he supports current California law allowing trans student-athletes to participate in school sports.

Steve Hilton (R), 56, British political commentator and Fox News contributor

Hilton argues trans girls in school sports is “not fair. It’s not fair for girls who’ve worked so hard.” As governor, he said he’ll overturn current California law allowing trans student-athletes to play.

Chad Bianco (R), 58, Riverside County Sheriff

“Boys should not be competing against girls,” Bianco said of trans student-athletes in school sports.

“There will never be an 18-year-old boy walking through a 14-year-old girl’s locker room naked” if he’s elected governor, the MAGA sheriff vowed.

Leo Zacky (R), 34, Zacky Farms scion, 2022 gubernatorial candidate

“You’re born a boy, you’re born a girl. That’s it,” Zacky said. “Boys play with boys, girls play with girls.”

Steve Cloobeck (R), 64, Timeshare magnate

“I don’t know of any way possibly to mutate those or change that,” Cloobeck said of male and female chromosomes. “I think I’m going to sit with science.”

Ian Calderone (D), 40, former California Assembly member

Calderon aligned with Newsom on trans girls playing on girls’ teams. “I don’t support it,” he said.

But “these are also kids,” he added. “We really have to be compassionate and careful about how we talk about this and not demonizing them and making them feel like they’re not wanted, making them feel like they don’t matter, because they do matter.”

Butch Ware (Green), 51, 2024 vice presidential nominee for the Green Party and one-half of the hip-hop duo Slum Prophecy

Ware punted on the issue.

“The governing bodies of sports should make those decisions,” he said. “Why would I, as the governor, be involved in a conversation about who gets to play which sport? There are people whose job that is.”  

Katie Porter (D), 51, former U.S. representative

Porter said she’s supportive of current state law but believes trans student-athletes’ participation in school sports isn’t the province of state government.

“These are rules that can and should be set by the governing bodies, and so in the case of California school sports, the California Interscholastic Federation should be making this decision at every level of sports competition,” she said.

Xavier Becerra (D), 67, former California Attorney General and Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in the Biden administration

Becerra agreed with Ware and Porter, saying sports governing bodies “should decide.”  

“There’s nothing in the Constitution that says that you are entitled to play a sport,” he added.

Tony Thurmond (D), 57, California Superintendent of Public Instruction

Thurmond strongly defends current California law allowing trans student-athletes to play.  

“We are a state that can accept diversity, and we will make sure that we follow the law and protect the rights of transgender athletes to participate and to be able to do so safely,” he said.

Antonio Villaraigosa (D), 72, former Speaker of the California State Assembly and Los Angeles mayor

Villaraigosa also fell into Newsom’s camp.

“Men who have gone through puberty and are now transgender women, should they play other women? No, I don’t believe they should,” he said.

But, Villaraigosa said, “I will never support discrimination in any way. I believe in gender-affirming care, but I don’t believe those athletes should be playing women.”

Betty Yee (D), 68, former California State Controller

Yee took a wait-and-see approach, suggesting there could be compromises addressing trans student-athletes, “like developing a separate league.”

“To the extent that we’re still trying to really understand what this means for everyone in athletics, I would say just I want to learn more about what’s possible, but I also don’t want to have opportunities cut off for anybody,” she said.

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