Sarah McBride Makes History as First Openly Transgender Person Elected to U.S. Congress
by Jazz Tangcay · VarietyLGBTQ champion Sarah McBride has made history as the first transgender woman elected to the U.S Congress.
McBride led a push for paid family and medical leave. She also made affordable health care and reproductive rights among her top priorities.
She first made history in 2016 when she addressed the Democratic National Convention as the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, making her the first openly transgender person to speak at a major party convention in the United States. For years, she has been actively working to advance equality in the state of Delaware. In 2020, McBride landed in the history books when she became the first transgender woman elected to Delaware’s state senate.
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According to her website, McBride passed the landmark Healthy Delaware Families Act, providing paid family and medical leave to workers throughout the First State and marking the largest expansion of Delaware’s social safety net in decades.
It’s been a big night for firsts among diverse candidates.
Also in Delaware, Democratic Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester became the first Black woman to represent the state in the Senate. She defeated Republican Eric Hansen and independent candidate Mike Katz. Blunt Rochester will fill the seat left vacant by fellow Democrat Tom Carper.
Blunt Rochester has served four terms as a representative for Delaware in the house, sponsoring 90 bills and seven resolutions. The workforce and jobs have been key to her policies.
More to come...