Trans Delaware State Senator Sarah McBride wins primary race for Congressional seat

Delaware State Senator Sarah McBride is on the verge of making political history once again after winning a Democratic primary on Sept. 10 for the lone congressional seat in her home state.

The 34-year-old state lawmaker, who pulled in 80% of the vote in the Democratic primary election contest against Earl Cooper and Elias Weir, is favored to win the general election and would become the first out trans member of Congress if she emerges victorious in the November contest for the at-large seat. McBride will face off against GOP nominee James Whalen III, who received 18,000 votes — far fewer than the 64,000 votes McBride earned in her race.

Democrats have the advantage in the blue state of Delaware, where the current occupant of the at-large congressional seat, Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester, pulled in 178,000 votes in a 12-point victory over Republican Lee Murphy in 2022. Rochester, for her part, is leaving her seat because she is running for US Senate in Delaware to replace her former boss, longtime Senator Tom Carper, who announced in May that he would be retiring at the conclusion of his term.

The primary victory represented yet another milestone for McBride, who has made history multiple times over the last decade — most notably in 2020 when she won an election to become the first out trans state senator in the nation. She also broke barriers in 2016 when she became the first out trans person to speak at the Democratic National Convention.

McBride has focused heavily on prioritizing issues for families throughout her campaign and in her work in the State Senate. She led the passage of the Healthy Delaware Families Act, a law giving paid family and medical leave to workers across the state, and she has chaired the Health Committee in the upper house.

“With a heart full of hope — and because of tens of thousands of Delawareans who turned out to the polls — tonight I’m proud to become the Democratic nominee for Delaware’s sole seat in the United States House of Representatives,” McBride wrote on X after her victory. “Thank you, Delaware!”

Virginia State Senator Danica Roem, whose election to the House of Delegates in 2017 made her the first out trans state lawmaker in the US, praised McBride’s performance on election night and her record in office.

“It turns out getting paid family and medical leave done as a state senator is *really* popular with Democratic primary voters in a statewide congressional race,” Roem wrote. “So damn proud of you, @SarahEMcBride.”

The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, which works to elect LGBTQ people to office, also hailed McBride’s primary win.

“Voters across the country are sick and tired of the divisive politics of the past — that’s why we’re seeing an increase in diverse, young candidates like Sarah McBride clearing their primaries,” the Victory Fund’s president and CEO, Annise Parker, said in a written statement. “Nobody is more qualified than Sarah to represent the values of Delaware in Congress. I look forward to celebrating Sarah’s election victory in November and seeing her get to work for her constituents in Washington.”