In a rambling, difficult-to-follow answer to a direct yes-or-no question, Democratic candidate for Congress Stefany Shaheen said she supports allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports on a “case-by-case basis.”
“It depends on the situation. It depends on the sport. It depends on the athlete. And I think we need to make these on a case-by-case basis,” Shaheen said regarding her view of transgender athletes (biological males who identify as female) playing on girls’ sports teams.
Opposing a ban on biological males in women’s sports puts Shaheen in line with the current Granite State federal delegation, all of whom voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 earlier this year.
Shaheen, 51, made her comments during an appearance on Jack Heath’s radio show Thursday morning. It was a follow-up to an interview she gave Heath last month when she was considering a congressional bid.
During that April 16 appearance, Heath asked Shaheen about her views on the issue, both as a potential candidate and a former girls’ volleyball coach. Shaheen deflected, saying it is too early in the process for her to give policy specifics.
“If I get into the race, I am prepared to give you my position on every issue that’s going to impact the district,” Shaheen told Heath. “I will be prepared to answer the question.”
However, she sounded less than prepared Thursday morning when Heath reminded Shaheen of her previous visit and returned to the issue.
“I know this is a question that continues to come up, and I think it’s one that’s important to answer,” Shaheen said. “The fact is, I personally appreciate just how much sports means to people, whether you’re a coach, an athlete, a parent of someone playing, whether you’re a fan, sports are a huge part of our lives and our culture here, and I’ve benefited tremendously from my experience as an athlete. I grew up playing basketball and volleyball. I played volleyball through college. The greatest experience of my parenting was being able to coach my daughter’s high school volleyball team here in Portsmouth.
“And I think it’s critically important that we ensure fairness and safety through sports, and we’ve got to keep coming back to that,” Shaheen said.
Unable to discern her position from her answer, Heath followed up.
“If someone says, ‘Do you think it’s okay for boys to play in girls’ sports?’ What’s your answer – Yes or no?”
“The answer is this: You know, sports, we have to ensure fairness and we have to ensure the safety of the athletes,” Shaheen replied. “And I think these decisions are going to be made on a case-by-case or team-by-team basis. They should be made by the athletic directors, the coaches, the parents, and the players.”
Polls show a majority of Granite Staters support protecting girls’ sports from biological males, as do nearly 80 percent of all Americans, including 67 percent of Democrats, in a New York Times poll taken earlier this year.
Shaheen is a former Portsmouth city councilor. More significantly, as the daughter of a former governor and U.S. senator, she’s spent her life in a political household. As a result, expectations for her campaign skills are high.
Dean Spiliotes, Civic Scholar in the School of Arts, Sciences and Education at Southern New Hampshire University, said after the interview he was surprised by Shaheen’s lack of clarity on the issue.
“It’s something I’m seeing from Democratic candidates all around the country. You would think by now they would have figured out where they are on the issue,” Spiliotes told Heath.
“It may not be an issue among Democratic candidates, but the media will ask about it, and it will absolutely be an issue in any general election. So, it’s a little surprising to hear that she hadn’t thought that through a little bit more.”
While Shaheen has the benefit of her mother’s name, she still has to get through the Democratic primary campaign. Maura Sullivan, a Marine Corps veteran who served in the Iraq War and in the Obama administration, has been campaigning for weeks.
Journalist Hanna Trudo, a New Hampshire native and progressive Democrat who briefly considered entering the race, told NHJournal she was unimpressed by Shaheen’s answer.
“I’m not a sports person, but I can’t stand these types of non-answers framed around ‘fairness.’ We hear them a lot now,” Trudo said.
“New Hampshire is the ‘Live Free or Die’ state. Last time I checked, that includes freedom for trans people. How is it fair to exclude them? Why would any Democrat want to limit freedoms for our most marginalized?
“Consultants say it’s hard because Republicans can weaponize it as ‘all’ Democrats care about, drawing the focus away from economics. I’m an economic populist, and I call BS on that. The GOP is going to weaponize literally everything, so we might as well be on the side of humanity.”
