Sarah McBride is set to become the first transgender state senator in the U.S. after winning her primary race in Delaware yesterday.
McBride, the National Press Secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, won the Democratic primary to run for the state senate in Delaware’s First District, which includes parts of Wilmington.
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She won with 93% of the vote against opponent Joseph McCole; both running to replace the out-going state Sen. Harris McDowell (D). She will face Republican Steve Washington in November in the district where Democrats outnumber Republicans three-to-one.
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Several transgender people serve in their state legislatures’ lower houses, including Virginia Delegate Danica Roem and Colorado Rep. Brianna Titone. McBride is set to become the first transgender person in a state senate.
“Sarah’s primary win shatters another lavender ceiling in our movement to build LGBTQ political power and her victory will inspire more transgender people to run for elected office,” said Annise Parker, the president and CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund, in a statement.
“At a time when the Trump administration, cynical politicians and too many state legislatures are attempting to use trans people as political weapons, Sarah’s win is a powerful reminder that voters are increasingly rejecting the politics of bigotry in favor of candidates who stand for equality.”
“Time and time again, I’ve had the opportunity to see there is space for people of all different backgrounds, including trans people, in our politics,” McBride told LGBTQ Nation earlier this year.
“Growing up, it seemed like there was no place for someone like me,” she said. “And there were certainly no examples of someone like me participating publicly, let alone having a seat at the table in a leadership capacity. Piece by piece, I was able to see just how wrong that understandable fear was.”
