State Sen. Sarah McBride announced a bid for Delaware's sole House seat in 2024 on Monday, seeking to become the country’s first transgender member of Congress.
McBride (a biological male who identifies as a transgender woman) is a rising political star who hopes to replace Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) in Congress and has already established a national reputation as Delaware’s top transgender elected official. The state senator would become the youngest elected official from Delaware to serve in Congress if elected.
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“It can be tough out there. Too many politicians want to divide us. Tell us that teachers, doctors, even our own neighbors are the enemy. Blocking out the noise and focusing on what actually matters isn't easy,” McBride said in a campaign announcement video. “It takes guts and a backbone.”
McBride’s candidacy comes after Rochester announced she would not run for reelection in 2024, instead vying to be elected to the Senate to replace Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), who is retiring at the end of his term. Both Carper’s Senate seat and the House seat being vacated by Rochester are expected to lean heavily Democratic in 2024.
The state senator is expected to face a competitive field of candidates seeking to replace Rochester. At least one challenger, Eugene Young, the director of the Delaware State Housing Authority, has expressed interest in running.
Before being elected to the state Senate in 2020, McBride worked as the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBT civil rights advocacy group in the country. McBride first rose to national prominence in 2016 after becoming the first openly transgender person to speak at the Democratic National Convention.
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Since then, McBride has become well known for prioritizing reproductive rights, healthcare reform, and climate legislation as a state lawmaker. McBride vows to continue advancing similar legislation if elected to the House.
“My commitment is to the people in Delaware who aren't seen, who don't shout the loudest or fund political campaigns,” McBride said. “Parents busy raising their children. Seniors worried about paying for prescription drugs. Working people struggling to keep up. Everyone deserves a member of Congress who sees them and who respects them.”