Sarah McBride becomes first trans person elected to US House of Representatives

Delaware state senator Sarah McBride has made history as the first out trans person elected to the US House of Representatives.

“Thank you, Delaware! Because of your votes and your values, I am proud to be your next member of Congress,” McBride wrote on X.

“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 healthcare are available to everyone and that this is a democracy that is big enough for all of us.”

Before Tuesday’s election, McBride spoke about what it would mean to be the first trans person elected to Congress, telling CBS News: “It is a testament to Delawareans that the candidacy of someone like me is even possible.”

In 2016, McBride became the first openly transgender person to address a major US political convention and in 2020 became the first to serve in a US state Senate.

McBride said earlier this year: “The fact that the candidacy of someone like me is even possible… is a testament to Delawareans… I’m not running on my identity.”