A top Democrat in Rep. Seth Moulton’s (D.) hometown said she would find someone to challenge and replace the Massachusetts congressman for saying he doesn’t want his daughters "getting run over" by transgender athletes.
Last week, Moulton told the New York Times that he has "two little girls" and doesn't "want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat, I'm supposed to be afraid to say that." In response, Salem Democratic City Committee chair Liz Bradt condemned Moulton while making her threat.
"We will not stop advocating for people from all walks of life and all identities. He can take on the far right words 'identity politics' to degrade our work. We will find someone to run against him and win," Bradt said in a statement obtained by the Boston Globe. "Salem Democratic leadership issued a letter to all our members in opposition to his statements. Our membership will be voting on endorsing the letter at our meeting Thursday night."
"As Chair of the Salem Democratic City Committee I lead a group of people who advocate for those who need housing, those who need jobs, those who are LGBTQIA and those who want to work for a fair wage," she added in her statement. "If our Representative in Congress wants to accuse us of identity politics he can do so. What does 'identity politics' even mean?"
Bradt told the Washington Free Beacon the Salem committee had a 20 percent quorum before sending out the letter and expected "much discussion" ahead of Thursday’s vote.
According to the Globe, Bradt compared Moulton to a Nazi cooperator in an email she sent to a former aide for the congressman.
Though Moulton's comments enraged fellow Massachusetts Democrats, accusing him of betrayal and calling on him to resign, Americans largely agree with the congressman: Nearly 70 percent believe transgender athletes should only be allowed to compete on teams that align with their birth gender, according to a June 2023 Gallup poll.
On Tuesday, Tufts University walked back a threat from its political science chairman, David Art, who had called Moulton’s office to say he "won’t facilitate internship opportunities for students" with the congressman.
A spokeswoman for Moulton’s office told the Free Beacon, "We don’t give much credence to someone who calls a fellow Democrat a Nazi cooperator." She also noted that the office has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from constituents, signaling that Democrats must engage in tough conversations to better connect with Americans moving forward.