History was made even before the results of the 2024 US elections were finalized, with Delaware’s Sarah McBride becoming the first transgender state senator to be elected to the US House of Representatives. She defeated Republican candidate John Whalen III, a former Delaware state police officer and businessman, in the general elections.
Sarah McBride, a Wilmington, Delaware native, developed an interest in politics from a young age, with her parents noting her early involvement in campaigns, including those for Beau Biden’s attorney general race. At the age of 21, McBride publicly came out as a transgender woman in 2011 through her university’s student paper and a viral Facebook post, as reported by The Guardian.
McBride has since dedicated her career to LGBTQ+ advocacy. She played a crucial role in passing anti-discrimination laws in Delaware to protect transgender people and served as the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign. Additionally, McBride taught public policy at the University of Delaware and authored a memoir titled Tomorrow Will Be Different in 2018.
Her election to the House seat is not her first historic achievement in politics. In 2020, McBride became the first transgender woman elected to the Delaware Senate. She also made history in 2012 as the first transgender intern at the White House during the Obama-Biden administration and, in 2016, was the first transgender person to speak at the Democratic National Convention.
McBride’s win is significant as only one seat in Delaware has been Democratic since 2010. After her victory, McBride expressed her gratitude in a post on X, writing, “Thank you, Delaware! Because of your votes and your values, I am proud to be your next member of Congress.” She further stated, “Delaware has sent the message loud and clear that we must be a country that protects reproductive freedom, guarantees paid leave and affordable child care for all our families, ensures that housing and healthcare are available to everyone, and that this is a democracy that is big enough for all of us.”
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
McBride triumphed over three other Democratic candidates in the September primaries, later extending her lead by more than 20 percentage points in the general election against Whalen. Reflecting on what her election would mean, McBride told CBS News, “It is a testament to Delawareans that the candidacy of someone like me is even possible.”
She garnered support from prominent figures, including President Joe Biden, who congratulated her after her primary victory. Delaware’s current representative, Lisa Blunt Rochester, also endorsed McBride well ahead of the race in September.
