Andrews Ad Rejects Sports and Surgery for Minors

Democratic Senate nominee Annie Andrews has released a campaign ad saying she opposes biological males competing in women’s sports and has never performed gender surgery on minors, as Republicans criticize her past advocacy against restrictions on transgender rights and care. In the 30-second television spot, Andrews speaks directly to camera and says she wants voters to hear her position clearly. The ad followed President Donald Trump’s use of a derogatory nickname for Andrews in a social-media post. Trump has endorsed her Republican opponent, Sen. Darline Graham. Andrews’s current statements contrast with earlier public positions. In 2022, she called South Carolina’s law barring transgender students from girls’ and women’s public-school sports teams shameful and said she would always support trans youth. In an April 30, 2024, Instagram post, she praised Democratic state senators opposing legislation to restrict gender-affirming care for minors. The measure, which covered gender-transition surgeries, puberty blockers and hormone treatments for people under 18, was signed into law in May 2024.