Sarah McBride has made history as the first transgender person to be elected to the US Congress, winning the state’s only seat in the House of Representatives. The 34-year-old state senator from Delaware beat Republican candidate John Whalen III in the election. McBride, who has a long history of advocating for LGBTQ rights, has expressed her priorities as affordable childcare, paid family and medical leave, housing, healthcare, and reproductive freedom.
Born and raised in Wilmington, McBride came out as a transgender woman at age 21. She has worked on expanding access to affordable healthcare, advocating for gun reforms, and supporting anti-discrimination legislation to protect transgender individuals in Delaware. She previously worked as the press secretary of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ advocacy group in the US.
McBride’s election comes at a time when Republicans have been focusing on transgender issues, such as banning minors from gender-confirmation surgeries and transgender athletes from competing in binary sports categories. Former President Donald Trump and his allies have made inflammatory statements about transgender individuals, while nearly half of US states have either banned gender-affirming care for minors or barred transgender women from female sports leagues.
Despite facing these challenges, McBride remains focused on being the best member of Congress she can be for Delaware. She has emphasized the importance of prioritizing the issues she plans to work on rather than the historic nature of her candidacy. As the first transgender person elected to Congress, she understands the added responsibilities that come with this achievement and is determined to fulfill them to the best of her abilities.
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