(The Center Square) – Georgia’s top state officials chided Democratic U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock for voting against the advance of a bill that would ban men from playing in women’s sports.
Democrats did not back the bill, which needed 60 votes to move forward.
The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025 was called “an attack” on transgender people by Democrats. Republicans said Democrats are anti-women and out of touch with most Americans.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp was one of the first to call out Warnock and Ossoff.
“Men should not play in women’s sports,” Kemp said in a social media post. “The people of Georgia know that and our senators should too.”
Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is an ardent supporter of Senate Bill 1, which bans men from women’s sports in Georgia.
“Senate Democrats – including both of our Georgia senators – voted against common sense, women and the overwhelming will of the American people,” Jones said on social media. “We’ll fix it in Georgia with Senate Bill 1 and we’ll fix one of our senators next November.”
Ossoff is up for reelection in 2026.
The Georgia House of Representatives passed the Riley Gaines Act last week. It is similar to the Senate Bill, but the word “gender” in the state code would be changed to “sex.” Gaines said in a social media post to “name and shame them all.”
“Specifically, I want to highlight GA Democrat @SenOssoff,” Gaines said on X. “You have a daughter. Have you no shame? Georgians are watching. I will make it my mission to do what I can to remove you from your senate seat in 2026.”
The Georgia bills have moved to the other chambers for consideration. The final bill will likely be hammered out in a conference committee.
