A new ad in the Missouri Republican Senate primary criticizes the collegiate swimmer at the center of a debate over policies for transgender athletes, marking the first time the lightning-rod issue has appeared in a Senate campaign spot. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), one of several contenders vying to replace retiring GOP Sen. Roy Blunt, is out with a new ad slamming Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer on the University of Pennsylvania’s women’s team. Thomas, who previously swam three seasons on the university’s men’s team, has come in first in multiple women’s events in recent months and is poised to compete in the upcoming Ivy League and NCAA championships.