Blue State Battlegrounds- Maine and California

Informed Dissent

This Week’s Episode

Maine is a blue state — Democratic governor, Democratic legislature, transgender sanctuary state. And yet Protect Girls Sports in Maine gathered more than 70,000 signatures to put a sex-based sports and spaces question on the November ballot — nearly all of them from volunteers. This week, as this episode airs, the effort is in crisis: yesterday, Maine’s Chief Deputy Secretary of State issued a recommended decision to invalidate the initiative entirely, finding more than 12,000 additional signatures invalid and leaving the campaign roughly 500 signatures short of the threshold. Protect Girls Sports in Maine’s deadline to file objections is today. The Secretary of State — a Democrat who is also running for governor — is expected to issue a final ruling by May 26. Here and here is coverage from Maine.

In California, the race to replace Nancy Pelosi in the 11th Congressional District is ten days from its June 2 primary. Pelosi made her choice four days ago: she endorsed Supervisor Connie Chan — not Scott Wiener, the California State Senator who has spent years as the chief architect of the state’s transgender sanctuary laws, its policy of housing male-bodied incarcerated people in women’s prisons, and an expanding series of bills restricting therapeutic alternatives for gender-dysphoric youth. Running against Wiener is Marie Hurabiell — the one candidate in the race who has said publicly that she objects to biological males accessing women’s spaces and sports based on self-identification.

This week, Lauren Leggieri, Jamie Reed and Cori Cohn speak to both.

Here are the Democrats that voted in support of H.R. 2616, the "Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act," which passed the House on May 19 by a 217-198 vote:

Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) https://gonzalez.house.gov/contact/officesHenry Cuellar (TX-28) https://cuellar.house.gov/contact/Don Davis (NC-1) https://dondavis.house.gov/contactCleo Fields (LA-6) https://fields.house.gov/contactLaura Gillen (NY-4) https://gillen.house.gov/contactMarcy Kaptur (OH-9) https://kaptur.house.gov/contact/officesMarie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-3) https://gluesenkampperez.house.gov/contactEugene Vindman (VA-7) https://vindman.house.gov/contact/

Guests

Leyland Streiff

Principal Officer, Protect Girls Sports in Maine | Leader, Maine Girl Dads

Leyland Streiff is the Principal Officer of the Protect Girls Sports in Maine ballot referendum and leader of Maine Girl Dads — a coalition of 8,000+ fathers from across the political spectrum fighting to protect the sex-based rights of their daughters. He is a dad of three and husband to an amazing wife. Before recently retiring to focus full-time on raising his three kids while leading Maine Girl Dads in his spare time, he had a long, storied career as a marketing executive working with famous brands at famous ad agencies, before becoming a partner at the world’s largest professional services firm, where he led their U.S. ad agency business for many years.

In February 2026, his coalition submitted more than 79,000 signatures to the Maine Secretary of State — well above the roughly 67,682 required. The Secretary of State certified more than 71,000 as valid. Then opponents challenged thousands more. A May 12 hearing was held. Yesterday, the Chief Deputy Secretary of State issued a recommended decision to invalidate the initiative entirely — finding more than 12,000 additional signatures invalid and leaving the campaign approximately 500 short. Protect Girls Sports in Maine is filing its objections today. A final decision is expected by May 26.

Follow Maine Girl Dads: @mainegirldads on X, Instagram, and Facebook MaineGirlDads.com

Marie Hurabiell

Candidate, California’s 11th Congressional District (June 2, 2026 Primary)

Marie Hurabiell is a San Francisco native, attorney, and community activist running for the congressional seat being vacated by House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. A Georgetown graduate with a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, she founded ConnectedSF, a citywide organization focused on pragmatic solutions and public safety. She was appointed by President Trump to the Presidio Trust Board of Directors. She was a registered Republican until 2022.

In a race dominated by California State Senator Scott Wiener — the primary author of California’s transgender sanctuary laws, the legislation allowing male-bodied incarcerated people into women’s prisons, and an expanding series of bills restricting therapeutic alternatives for gender-dysphoric youth — Hurabiell has been the one candidate willing to say publicly that she objects to biological males accessing women’s spaces and sports based on self-identification alone. She declined to sign a transgender rights proclamation. She has been called homophobic by the San Francisco political establishment for criticizing Wiener’s record. She joins us ten days before voters decide.

Follow Marie Hurabiell: @MHurabiell on X MarieHurabiell.com

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