Meet Sarah McBride, First Elected Trans Member Of US Congress

Delaware Senator Sarah McBride has officially been elected to the House of Representatives, according to NBC. Her commanding win has made her the first trans person in the US Congress. The 34-year-old took nearly 58% of the vote over John Whalen III, the latest poll trends projected. In a recent interview with CBS, McBride said that her priorities include "affordable child care, paid family and medical leave, housing, health care."

The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund congratulated McBride for making history in US politics. "Sarah's voice is vital, and she will continue to be a tireless advocate for her constituents and community," the group said in a post on X. McBride has been an active politician in Delaware, actively working for equality in the state for years. 

Who Is Sarah McBride?

Sarah McBride hit headlines in 2012 when came out as a transgender in her school’s newspaper, having stepped down as an American University’s student body president. In 2016, she created history by becoming the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention in the U.S. She had addressed the Democratic National Convention as the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LQBTQ and queer advocacy group and political lobbying organisation. 

The 34-year-old, a transgender activist and a former Obama administration intern, said in 2019, "I don't intend on serving as a transgender state senator. I intend on serving as a senator who happens to be transgender." 

“I’m not running to make history or to make headlines,” McBride said. “I’m running to make a difference in this community and to represent this community as best I can by bringing the full range of experiences and perspectives I have with such a long history in this community.” 

Thank you, Delaware! Because of your votes and your values, I am proud to be your next member of Congress.

Delaware has sent the message loud and clear that we must be a country that protects reproductive freedom, that guarantees paid leave and affordable child care for all our… pic.twitter.com/QgwRkpUlbD

— Sen. Sarah McBride (@SarahEMcBride) November 6, 2024

In 2020, Sarah McBride, made history as the the first transgender state senator in the United States, making her the highest-ranking transgender official in the country. She emerged victorious in the Delaware state senate race on Tuesday, creating history by being the first transgender high-ranking official of the nation. McBride defeated Republican Steve Washington to win as the state senator, creating history as the first transgender woman to serve the legislation in the U.S. state.

I hope tonight shows an LGBTQ kid that our democracy is big enough for them, too.

— Sen. Sarah McBride (@SarahEMcBride) November 4, 2020

McBride took to Twitter to share the news. “We did it. We won the general election. Thank you, thank you, thank you," she tweeted on Tuesday night according to ET. She replaced Democrat Harris McDowell, who had endorsed McBride as he didn’t seek re-election after 44 years. She further wrote in the thread, “I hope tonight shows an LGBTQ kid that our democracy is big enough for them, too. As Delaware continues to face the Covid crisis, it’s time to get to work to invest in the policies that will make a difference for working families.”