Delaware Elects First Transgender Member of Congress, Democrat Sarah McBride

Voters in Delaware’s first congressional district elected State Sen. Sarah McBride (D-Wilmington) to the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, marking the first time a transgender person has been elected to the U.S. Congress.

NBC News reported:

Democrat Sarah McBride wins the House seat in Delaware’s 1st Congressional District, NBC News projects. Her victory makes her the first transgender woman to be elected to Congress. McBride, a Democrat, defeated Republican John Whalen III, taking 57.6% of the vote with 63% of the vote in.

McBride, who was born biologically male, became the state’s first transgender legislator in 2020. At the time, that made her the highest ranking transgender political leader in the country. Assistant Secretary for Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Adm. Rachel Levine later became the highest-ranking transgender official.

McBride’s arrival in Congress could present some parliamentary challenges, especially as the use of transgender bathrooms has been controversial in the past.

Democrats are sure to use McBride’s presence to blunt Republican opposition to some transgender policies — though exactly how those debates unfold will depend on which party controls the House. Republicans currently have a very slender majority, and control could come down to a handful of congressional races that may take days or even weeks to count.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.