US election: Sarah McBride becomes 1st transgender to be elected to Congress

Sarah McBride makes history as the first openly transgender individual elected to US House of Representatives in 2024, defeating Republican John Whalen III.

Published on: Nov 6, 2024, 15:19:50 IST

By HT News Desk | Edited by Chandreyi Chatterjee

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Democrat senator Sarah McBride has become the first openly transgender person to be elected to the House of Representatives in the 2024 US elections.

LGBT rights activist Sarah McBride addresses delegates on the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention. (AFP)

She defeated Republican rival John Whalen III in the lone House seat of the state.

“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 families, that ensures that housing and health care are available to everyone, and that this is a democracy that is big enough for all of us,” McBride posted on social platform X.

Democrats have held Delaware’s U.S. House seat since 2010.

Who is Sarah McBride?

1. Born in 1990, Sarah McBride grew up in Wilmington. She has been advocating for her community for decades. According to her website, McBride worked for former Delaware governor Jack Markell.

2. McBride also worked for late Attorney General Beau Biden, and served in the Obama-Biden White House. McBride established a national profile as an LGBTQ activist and raised more than $3 million in campaign contributions from around the country.

3. According to her website, Sarah McBride served as the national spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ equal rights organization.

4. She became the first transgender speaker at the Democratic National convention in 2016, delivering a speech on equality and inclusion.

5. As a state senator, McBride has earned a reputation for working on health care issues, including successfully sponsoring legislation to create a statewide paid family and medical leave insurance programme. McBride also sponsored legislation to address Medicaid reimbursement rates for home health care services and expand access to dental care for low-income Delawareans.

(With AP inputs)

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