Sarah McBride to make history as first transgender person to serve in Congress

This story was supported by a statehouse coverage grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Democratic state Sen. Sarah McBride became the first transgender person elected to Congress Tuesday night when she won Delaware’s lone U.S. House seat.

McBride captured 57% of the vote against her Republican opponent, John Whalen III, a former Delaware State Police officer and small businessman, who earned 42%.

She said in her acceptance speech that she would serve all Delawareans.

“Here in this state, we have come to see our fellow citizens as neighbors,” she said. “With shared hopes and a common destiny.”

Whalen said Tuesday night he was not yet conceding. The Associated Press called the race around 9:45 p.m.

“Call me back when Fox News calls it,” he said.

At 34 years old, McBride is also the youngest person Delaware has sent to Washington since President Joe Biden was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972.

The seat McBride won was previously occupied by Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester,  who won the seat formerly held by Sen. Tom Carper in the Senate Tuesday night.

McBride gained national prominence when she became the first openly transgender person to speak at the Democratic National Convention in 2016.

Despite the historic nature of her election, McBride said her campaign wasn’t about making history, but about making a difference for Delawareans and people across the country. But she also acknowledged the diverse coalition that supported her campaign.

“It’s a coalition of LGBTQ people, straight people, people of every race, people of every religion, people of every economic background, people of every political persuasion,” she said. “This campaign is a reflection of what our politics can be, where we recognize and celebrate our differences, where we come together to find shared solutions for our common challenges.”

McBride previously worked as press secretary of the Human Rights Campaign. HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a statement that her election was a landmark achievement.

“America now has the opportunity to learn what Delawareans have long known — Sarah McBride is a devoted public servant, a bulldog for her constituents, and someone who represents the interests of everyone she serves,” she said in a statement. “This historic victory reflects not only increasing acceptance of transgender people in our society, ushered in by the courage of visible leaders like Sarah, but also her dogged work in demonstrating that she is an effective lawmaker who will deliver real results.

New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer, who beat House Minority Leader Mike Ramone to take the governor’s office, said he was counting on it being a big night for Democrats.

“I’m an outsider coming into Dover with new ideas, and I think that can be said of Congresswoman McBride and Senator-to-be-Blunt Rochester as well,” he said. “So there’s a lot of excitement about that. And of course, there’s a lot of excitement nationally too.”

According to a statement from Democratic National Committee officials, it invested over $2.5 million into the First State to support down-ballot candidates, including Blunt Rochester and Sarah McBride.