In the recent 2024 elections, Delaware elected the first openly transgender person into Congress. Congresswoman Sarah McBride won her position as a House of Representative member with 57.8% of the vote, beating Republican John Whalen III. 

“Tonight is a testament to Delawareans that here in our state of neighbors, we judge candidates based on their ideas and not their identities,” McBride said in an interview with NBC News. 

Her goals in Congress are to promote affordable healthcare, protect women’s reproductive rights, and increase the minimum wage. Her previous experience in leadership positions includes her position as Delaware State Senator: where she continuously advocated for better healthcare access for all. 

“I think it’s really nice to see that we are making progress by getting LGBT people into positions and politics,” English teacher and Sexuality and Gender Alliance sponsor Casey Defrancesco said. “That’s something that’s been happening a lot for the gay community, but specifically, the trans community has had so much pushback in recent years, and there’s been so much back and forth about trans issues in general, and it’s really become a boiling point issue.” 

As the first openly transgender person elected into the House of Representatives, she is making huge waves for the LGBTQ+ community. This will increase transgender representation in Congress and the lawmaking process on a national scale in a way that has never been seen before. 

“When I had heard that McBride was elected I was ecstatic and so hopeful. As a transgender teenager myself, it gives me hope for my future, seeing that we will never go away,” senior Azriel Cohen said. “I hope that McBride continues to shine as a transgender woman, and show the ignorant that we are just people.” 

The election of a transgender congresswoman empowers other members of the LGBTQ+ community to be open about their sexuality and gender identity when running for positions of power. While McBride is currently the only openly transgender person elected to Congress, she brings hope for other members of the queer community to run for national and state-wide positions. 

“I very much hope it shows them [the transgender community] that they can do it and that they don’t need to be concerning themselves with some of the really negative rhetoric that would have them hide,” Defrancesco said.