US Election Results: Sarah McBride becomes first openly transgender person elected to US Congress

Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride secured a historic victory in the US House election, becoming the first openly transgender individual to win a congressional seat. She won decisively against Republican challenger John Whalen III, a first-time political candidate and former state trooper who ran a modest campaign.

McBride, a prominent LGBTQ activist, garnered substantial nationwide support, accumulating over $3 million in campaign donations. Her national prominence emerged when she became the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

“Tonight is a testament to Delawareans that we have shown time and time again that in this state of neighbors, we judge candidates based on their ideas and not their identities,” McBride said. “I didn’t run to make history. I ran to make a difference for my state and this country,” she added. “I think this is a powerful message that Delawareans are fair-minded and that our democracy is big enough for all of us.”

In her role as state senator, McBride has focused on healthcare initiatives, successfully implementing a statewide paid family and medical leave insurance programme. Her legislative achievements include improving Medicaid reimbursement rates for home healthcare services, expanding dental care access for low-income residents, and establishing a 3.58% tax on hospital net revenue to increase federal Medicaid funding.

The Delaware US House seat has remained under Democratic control since 2010. The position became available when Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester announced her candidacy for the US Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Tom Carper.

Courtesy : TOI

Note: This news is originally published in timesofindia.com and was used solely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights