Sarah McBride just made history: Meet the future first openly transgender member of Congress
Despite the surprising decisive victory for President-elect Donald Trump this morning, liberals, progressives, and Democrats do have cause for some celebration. History was made in the 2024 election thanks to Delaware’s Sarah McBride and those who voted for her. McBride is now officially the first openly transgender person to be elected to the U.S. Congress. McBride previously served two terms as a Democratic state senator in Delaware, beginning in 2020, before last night winning her race to be Delaware’s newest Congressperson. With 99% of precincts reporting, McBride handily beat her Republican challenger, John Whalen. The newly elected congressperson won with 57.7% of the vote compared to her competitor’s 42.3% share. Which issues did McBride run on? McBride, who is only 34, ran her campaign with a focus on expanding access to healthcare and lowering healthcare costs. “Health care is a human right. In the wealthiest nation on earth, any person left without health coverage is a moral failing,” McBride states on her website. “In Congress, I will support any positive policy that advances our country toward the ultimate goal of universal coverage. At a minimum, we should expand Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing while lowering the age of eligibility and providing a public option.” As NBC News notes, during her first term as a Delaware senator, McBride helped pass the state’s universal paid family and medical leave. How has McBride responded to her win? Acknowledging her victory in an Instagram post, McBride said, “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.” A Pew Research Center report from September 2024 found that healthcare was the second most important issue among all voters in this election, coming in only after the economy. With McBride’s ascension to the House of Representatives, those voters have a new ally in Congress. And they’ll need that ally as Turmp’s win now means that up to 20 million people could lose their healthcare subsidies.
Tomas Kauer - News Moderator 
Despite the surprising decisive victory for President-elect Donald Trump this morning, liberals, progressives, and Democrats do have cause for some celebration. History was made in the 2024 election thanks to Delaware’s Sarah McBride and those who voted for her.
McBride is now officially the first openly transgender person to be elected to the U.S. Congress.
McBride previously served two terms as a Democratic state senator in Delaware, beginning in 2020, before last night winning her race to be Delaware’s newest Congressperson.
With 99% of precincts reporting, McBride handily beat her Republican challenger, John Whalen. The newly elected congressperson won with 57.7% of the vote compared to her competitor’s 42.3% share.
Which issues did McBride run on?
McBride, who is only 34, ran her campaign with a focus on expanding access to healthcare and lowering healthcare costs.
“Health care is a human right. In the wealthiest nation on earth, any person left without health coverage is a moral failing,” McBride states on her website. “In Congress, I will support any positive policy that advances our country toward the ultimate goal of universal coverage. At a minimum, we should expand Medicare to cover dental, vision, and hearing while lowering the age of eligibility and providing a public option.”
As NBC News notes, during her first term as a Delaware senator, McBride helped pass the state’s universal paid family and medical leave.
How has McBride responded to her win?
Acknowledging her victory in an Instagram post, McBride said, “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.”
A Pew Research Center report from September 2024 found that healthcare was the second most important issue among all voters in this election, coming in only after the economy.
With McBride’s ascension to the House of Representatives, those voters have a new ally in Congress. And they’ll need that ally as Turmp’s win now means that up to 20 million people could lose their healthcare subsidies.
