Delaware Democrat Sarah McBride became the first openly transgender state senator to be elected in American history on Tuesday, Politico reported.
McBride, the former national press secretary of the Human Rights Campaign, will now become the highest-ranking transgender official in the United States and was part of a surge of LGBTQ+ candidates running for office this year.
There were 1,006 openly LGBTQ+ community members campaigning for office in this election, marking a 41% increase in LGBTQ+ candidates from two years ago, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund.
Upon winning the election, McBride tweeted that "I hope tonight shows an LGBTQ kid that our democracy is big enough for them, too. As Delaware continues to face the Covid crisis, it's time to get to work to invest in the policies that will make a difference for working families."
Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David congratulated McBride, saying "Sarah made history not just for herself but for our entire community. She gives a voice to the marginalized as a representative and an advocate. This victory, the first of what I expect to be many in her career, shows that any person can achieve their dream, no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation."
The achievement was another in continuing "firsts" for McBride, who was the first transgender person to speak at a major party convention when she addressed the Democratic National Convention four years ago and was also the first transgender White House staffer when she interned in the Obama White House, according to CNN.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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