AUGUST 2, 2026
Nebraska Democrat Denise Powell's 2023 social media posts opposing transgender care restrictions surface in competitive House race
Social media posts from 2023 show Denise Powell, the Democratic nominee for Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, publicly opposing LB 574, Nebraska's "Let Them Grow Act," which restricts gender transition procedures for minors. Powell urged supporters to contact state senators and attended protests, calling the bill "discriminatory and hateful." The Nebraska Legislature passed LB 574 by a 33-15 vote, and Governor Jim Pillen signed it into law.
Denise Powell, the Democratic nominee in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, made multiple Facebook and TikTok posts in early 2023 opposing LB 574, the state law that prohibits gender transition procedures — including puberty blockers and hormone treatments — for minors under 19. The posts surfaced ahead of what is expected to be a competitive general election race.
In a March 2023 Facebook post, Powell, listed as an administrator on The Bellwether Initiative Nebraska page, urged Nebraskans to contact their state senators and join her at the Capitol during floor debate on the bill while wearing a shirt that read "PROTECT TRANS KIDS." She wrote that Nebraska had an opportunity "to set an example" and that "trans people belong in Nebraska and everywhere." Separate TikTok videos showed Powell appearing to hold protest signs, sharing footage of student walkouts in Omaha and Lincoln, and calling the bill harmful to children.
The Fox News report — the sole source for this story — framed the posts as a political liability for Powell in a swing district. The article quoted Jon Schweppe, identified as a former Trump administration official at the FTC and senior advisor at the American Principles Project, who described Powell as "about as radical as it gets" for NE-2 and referenced her association with a board he said promotes an "LGBTQ liberation" curriculum for fifth graders. Zach Bannon, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, also provided a statement characterizing Powell as a "rubber stamp for the radical far-left." Fox News Digital reported it reached out to Powell's campaign multiple times for comment but did not receive a response.