Sarah McBride Becomes First Openly Transgender Person Elected To Congress

Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride won the First State’s only House seat, becoming the first openly transgender person elected to Congress. 

McBride, a Democrat, took 57.6% of the vote with 63% of the vote accounted for, besting Republican John Whalen III.  

McBride’s goals in her congressional campaign were affordable health care, upping the minimum wage and protection of reproductive rights. During her tenure in Delaware’s Senate, an office she’s served in since being elected in the Nov. 2020 election, she was known for breaking through the partisan gridlock to pass legislations, strengths she hopes to bring with her to Washington D.C.

After winning her office to the Delaware State Senate, she became the first openly transgender state senator in the United States. During her time in Delaware’s Senate, McBride assisted in passing universal paid family and medical leave.

Prior to her state senate election, McBride propelled the passage of legislation in Delaware banning gender identity discrimination in employment, housing, insurance, and public accommodations. She became the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention in U.S. history when she went before the Democratic National Convention in July 2016. President Joe Biden wrote the forward to McBride’s 2018 memoir Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality.

McBride also served on the steering committee of Trans United for Hillary, an effort to educate and mobilize transgender people and their allies in support of Hillary Clinton.

McBride is a graduate of American University. In April 2012, McBride came out as trans in the college’s student newspaper at the end of her term as student body president. 

AP reported the news.